open post: Empress Liu Mingyan

[empressliu]

Liu Mingyan has a lot on her mind.

In the three months since Luo Binghe vanished into thin air, Xin Mo abandoned at the foot of his throne, his Empire—her Empire—has... changed. The throne remains empty, of course—to have anyone else claim it, even temporarily, would be conceding that his absence is unintentional, either accidental or, more likely, a malicious coup. Whoever did the claiming would be the prime suspect for mal intent, including Mingyan herself. So it sits, empty, at the center of his great hall, Mobei-Jun standing sentinel beside it, never to be looked at directly by any visiting dignitary or sniveling demonic petitioner.

She's been redirecting all audiences to her wing of the palace instead. Her hall is not quite so grand, but it is nearly as imposing, and her own throne no less terrible and beautiful. When Luo Binghe is in residence, she primarily uses this hall for meetings with her network of all-female spies—not because Luo Binghe doesn't know about them, in his vague and uninterested way, but because Liu Mingyan has learned from experience that if they encounter him they turn very quickly from useful and competent agents to fawning and lovestruck young maidens, and then it's only a matter of time before they join the ranks of the harem. Liu Mingyan does not resent this; there would be no point. But she prefers to conduct her business in private nonetheless.

Now, of course, even from her own throne many of her edicts must be delivered as if they're orders that Luo Binghe left for her to give. Ning Yingying has been surprisingly useful on this front; despite Liu Mingyan's disdain for what she believed a naive and trusting heart who had given up her sect loyalty to marry for love, Ning Yinging does know Luo Binghe, perhaps better even than Liu Mingyan does, offering insight into what Luo Binghe would have said, if he had in fact instructed Mingyan on how to handle this matter. Liu Mingyan does not always take this advice—she does not always want to do what Luo Binghe would have done, especially as his absence stretches from days into weeks into months, but she does not resent it, either.

In truth, what Liu Mingyan resents is the idea that Luo Binghe will return, and she will be expected to relinquish rule back to him, and everything she has built—the tenuous and confusing peace between herself and Sha Hualing, and thus the quelling of the constant threat of southern rebellion; the ease with which she receives the other wives and soothes their fears, rather than holding herself above them;¹ the shifted tenor of court itself, with fewer public displays of violence²—all of it will go back to normal, and Liu Mingyan finds she has less taste for normal every day. It's not that she doesn't want Luo Binghe to return—of course she does—but she wishes that somehow he might return different. It's a futile thought, and a disloyal one to think about a man who created this life for her, a man she cares deeply about, but she cannot deny that she thinks it.

So when she steps down a secret stairway into a corridor that should lead to her chambers and ends up in an unfamiliar hallway instead—the light entirely wrong, the architecture unfamiliar—her first thoughts are uncharitable. It seems obvious that this is the same trap that ensnared Luo Binghe. It also seems unfair to make her the one to bring him home, and be the agent of her own undoing. She'll do it—he is her husband, and while that doesn't mean the same thing to her as it does many of his wives, it does mean something significant, as undeniable as it is ill-defined—and her Emperor. But—

She sets her jaw behind her veil and wraps her fingers around Cheng Luan's hilt, proceeding silently down the hallway.

[NSFW: Susan's thread, Janet's thread]

¹ Well, sometimes she's still above them. If you know what I mean.
² Not that there has been no violence—it's just generally conducted elsewhere. Her floors are harder to clean than Luo Binghe's.

Comments

[protagonisthalo]

Relief floods Luo Binghe, and he gives her a natural, genuine smile. He stands and clasps her hand in friendship.

[empressliu]

Liu Mingyan squeezes back, and it's good—but not quite adequate. With the kind of impulse she tends to think she has long outgrown, she tugs Luo Binghe forward and wraps her other arm around his back, awkwardly; it lasts only a second, a few taps of her palm against his strange shirt before she steps away again.

She is not embarrassed of this display, but she takes a moment to settle herself again, giving her husband—her friend—a small nod.

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe is a bit flustered—he is so rarely touched with platonic intent—but he nods in return and sits, indicating that that business is completed.

"I wish to hear how my Empire fares, as well as my wives, but there is one thing I must tell you first. I would like you to meet my lover, but I must explain something, and it may be hard for you to understand." He takes a moment to think how to say it before continuing. It may be hard for her to accept, but he hopes she will not judge him for it. If Liu Mingyan can trust him in any matter, it is in their shared hatred of Shen Qingqiu. No one could accuse Luo Binghe of softening on that man. Liu Mingyan least of all.

"He has suffered tragedy, as you and I both have. He died young, and awoke to find his spirit trapped in the body of another man. That man is Shen Qingqiu. It is not by his choice or preference that he appears in that form, and it is not his fault. His natural appeal and warmth shine through the vessel."

[empressliu]

Liu Mingyan's eyes widen. Luo Binghe's lover is a dead spirit, denied the cycle of reincarnation? And the form he is tied to is Shen Qingqiu's? Not the Shen Qingqiu who was limbless and spitting poison in the catacombs under their palace, surely. "He is—whole? How?"

[protagonisthalo]

"My lover comes here from a different world than ours, one where he replaced Shen Qingqiu when I was yet a child, before you and I met. Mingyan," Luo Binghe says softly, remembering. "I have seen in his memories that, in that reality, your brother yet lives."

[empressliu]

Liu Mingyan stares at him. "Alive?" she breathes. "You—you saw him? He is well?" She can hardly imagine it, what Liu Qingge could become, if he had not been betrayed and destroyed by Shen Qingqiu. She can hardly imagine herself in this other world, derailed so thoroughly from the course she has known before she and Luo Binghe had ever met. Are they friends in truth, there? Did she stay on Xian Shu with her martial sisters, untroubled by anything worse than a yao on a night hunt or a scolding from her shizun for being too profligate with her money?

[protagonisthalo]

"I saw him. Forgive me—had I known I would see you so soon, I would have investigated more. He seemed well, and I believe he and Shen Yuan—my lover—were close. You should speak to him of this matter."

[empressliu]

"I will," says Liu Mingyan. She looks forward to this meeting, now--and not only for news of her brother. There is something deeply romantic about it, after all. The only man who can soothe and satisfy Luo Binghe's weary heart, hidden behind the mask of his enemy--the two of them, meeting here, despite every reason they should never know one another, never discover this love. "It is poetic," she says, quietly. "Your true love, in the body of your greatest hate."

[protagonisthalo]

"Yes," Luo Binghe says with a smile. "It is poetic. I wish he did not have the mantle of that vile man's crimes weighing him down. But to house Shen Yuan's soul is the only good Shen Qingqiu has ever done, and I am grateful for it." He sits back, more at ease now that Liu Mingyan has been apprised of the important matters. "Now, tell me. How is my Yingying?"

[empressliu]

"She is well," says Liu Mingyan. "She has been--indispensible since your absence in interpreting your will on matters of state." This is true, but perhaps shocking to hear from Liu Mingyan. She licks her lips behind her veil. Maybe best to deliver both of her surprises at once. "I have appointed Sha Hualing as your head political advisor in military matters and admiral of your navy."

This is quite a jump from her previous title, and one that, arguably, makes her more powerful than Mobei-jun. Liu Mingyan had spoken with him first; he had not minded, so long as it was she who made this call and it did not in fact indicate a genuine shift in Luo Binghe's affection. She likes Mobei-jun. At heart, he is a shockingly simple man.

[protagonisthalo]

The first half of this is surprising, but not shocking—Luo Binghe does not ever involve Ning Yingying in statecraft, but she does know him very well, and can often intuit his wants. But the second half draws him up short. There are many things to admire about Sha Hualing, but few people would call her wise. Also, he does not like the idea of anyone making decisions about his inner circle on his behalf. If this was absolutely anyone besides Liu Mingyan, he would consider it open insubordination—maybe even treason. Mingyan's position allows her a great deal of liberty, and Luo Binghe can understand that someone needs to rule in his absence. Mingyan, with her sharp mind, is more suited for it than Mobei-jun—but he still doesn't like it.

"I did not think you held Ling-er in such high regard." Luo Binghe rarely pays attention to the squabbles between his wives, but this particular one is too high-profile to ignore.

[empressliu]

"I do not," says Liu Mingyan, her nose wrinkling in dismay at the idea. "But—there are four souls in the Palace who know your absence is not by your own design. Myself, Ning Yingying, Mobei-jun, and her." How exactly Ning Yingying and Sha Hualing found out, when it had been Liu Mingyan and Mobei-jun who found Xin Mo, is beside the point.¹ "You know she toys with the loyalty her former subjects still have for her like an assassin with a knife. The appointment was strategic; she believes I hold her in high regard and have granted her power, but with the Empire at peace there is little use for her other than shoring up guard outposts and overseeing the building of ships, both of which she finds boring and tires of easily." She folds her hands over her knee. "And I intend to keep the Empire at peace."

This is approximately the truth. It is as much the truth as anything she ever tells Luo Binghe about Sha Hualing. She has a momentary pang at the thought; are these half-truths at odds with their newfound friendship?

¹ There may have been an argument; Ning Yingying may have been beautiful in her anger over Liu Mingyan keeping secrets; Sha Hualing may have been a fucking sneak who'd developed counter-talismans to specifically spy on Liu Mingyan's warded conversations—and other encounters²—in her private quarters.
² Sadly said other encounters do not yet include Ning Yingying. Though not for lack of trying on Liu Mingyan's part, recently.

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe relaxes a fraction. Of course Mingyan's choice was clear-eyed and sensible; he would expect nothing less. He doesn't object, exactly—it's possible he would have made the same decision himself, especially if he had discussed it with Mingyan, as he often does. But it wasn't his decision. It's all well and good to put his Empire behind him while he focuses on his time at the Mansion, but he really doesn't like the idea of it moving on without him.

He also doesn't like the idea of Liu Mingyan coming to believe she can run the realms without him. He does trust her, but "trust" to Luo Binghe means understanding someone's motivations, and knowing they do not conflict with his. He trusts Mobei-jun, because Mobei-jun responds to power, and no one is stronger than Luo Binghe. He trusts Liu Mingyan because they need each other, and therefore will not work against each other. If that balance shifts, he's not confident in a friendship that is less than an incense time old.

But he won't express any of this. "What more news?"

[empressliu]

Liu Mingyan hesitates. If Luo Binghe had only been gone a short while, on a night hunt, or quelling a local dispute, or acquiring a new wife, her report would be easy to make. But he's been gone for more than three months, and so much has happened in that time that it would take many sticks of incense to recite. She does not believe she was brought here for that purpose; if Luo Binghe returns with her, today, she can make a full report in his audience hall, and if he does not, it serves no purpose for him.

Besides, she has another question. "My lord. I know of course that you would break no promises to your wives. But--given your true preferences. Will you no longer be visiting their beds?"

[protagonisthalo]

These are questions Luo Binghe thought he would have more time to answer. He told Shen Yuan on their date that he was leaving his harem behind, and he meant it. But what that will look like when he actually returns is still unclear.

"No, I won't. It holds no appeal for me. As for what that means, for me and my wives and my rule... I do not know. Fear of that question is exactly what kept me from realizing it for so long. I had to come here, where my preferences mean nothing, to admit them."

[empressliu]

Liu Mingyan nods. "I ask as your friend," she says, gentling her voice, a little. "I can speak to them, when I return, and prepare them for this eventuality as you see fit. In your absence, many of them look to me for guidance." She hesitates. "I can help them with fulfilling other needs, as well."

She already is, of course; she has been for years, in some cases, and there are other dalliances between wives, as well. Luo Binghe knows this. But they do not speak of it, the way they do not speak of happiness and its impossibility. But—if his preferences truly mean nothing, here, perhaps hers can, as well.

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe considers this. "Do not tell them about Shen Yuan. Many of my wives will not take it well, if they believe another lover has turned my head and cooled my affections toward them. It will breed resentment before they have even met him. Imagine Naonao," he says with a grimace. "But if they have some idea that I am focusing on other pursuits, and won't be as attentive when I return... Yes, it may help manage expectations."

Luo Binghe does know, of course, that Mingyan's bed is not cold, even though she is scrupulously devoted to chastity.¹ He doesn't mind at all, but it is like the quarrels and rivalries among his harem—as long as no one's trying to kill each other, it's best to let his wives work things out between them. They would not thank him for being overly vigilant. But, if he and Mingyan speaking as friends... He raises an eyebrow. "Are there any among my wives who... particularly need fulfillment?"

¹Once again, gay sex doesn't count. I don't know why I have to keep explaining this, it's so obvious and reasonable.

[empressliu]

Liu Mingyan can easily imagine Naonao. She is angry enough that Luo Binghe has been away so long, and if Liu Mingyan's cultivation were less high she would have the (mostly consensual) whip scars to prove it. "Fei Tianwu, of course; she feels—" perhaps rightfully "—robbed of her due time with you, as your newest wife." She also likes to bring her knife to bed, as if it will do any more to Liu Mingyan than it had to Luo Binghe. "Guo Tanglang, recently, as well; I believe she is... used to a certain level of attention, whether from you or at home, and I have been glad to provide it."

There is also Sha Hualing, of course, but what Liu Mingyan does with Sha Hualing is not about fulling her needs. That would imply she cares about Sha Hualing's needs, and she does not. She skips over her and ventures, letting some of her frustration bleed through into her voice, "Yingying will not come to me."

[protagonisthalo]

The mention of Fei Tianwu causes Luo Binghe a rare stab of guilt. It's all seemed so far away, here—so far away that he forgot her name, and considered only how thoughtless it made him look to Shen Yuan. The rest, though—

"Yingying?" He smiles at the thought of her. "She is so kind and accommodating. She spurns you?" She's never rejected Luo Binghe, but he'll try not to be smug about it.

[empressliu]

Liu Mingyan frowns at this, a little. "It is not that she spurns me," she says. "She only--does not--" she stops, feeling suddenly and unexpectedly embarrassed. What was the problem, truly? That Yingying did not offer herself, prostrate, the moment Liu Mingyan began acting as de facto Emperor? "I have not asked," she admits, finally. "But I do not need to ask. Not with anyone else."

[protagonisthalo]

This, Luo Binghe understands. He felt the same on arrival here, when none of the women were responding to his attentions as expected. Liu Mingyan has his sympathies. But she is speaking to Ning Yingying's husband. Luo Binghe is perhaps the person most qualified to assist in all the realms. "Yingying has a compassionate heart. Displays of strength and power do not entice her. But if she sees that you need her, she will not be able to resist. Even better if she believes you need only her—if you are strong and confident with everyone else, but unveil a more troubled side to her alone."

[empressliu]

Liu Mingyan sighs. "And I suppose it must be a true unveiling," she complains. What a new feeling, to complain to Luo Binghe, but she knows this is a difficulty he will understand. "She will see through false vulnerability."

[protagonisthalo]

"Oh, yes. She's far too perceptive for that." Luo Binghe didn't really have a choice in this matter—Ning Yingying has known him since he was too young and pathetic to conceal anything. "It's too bad you can't do it in a dream. That's what I do when I want to reveal something I have no desire to talk about."

[empressliu]

"That does sound convenient," says Liu Mingyan. She wonders if this conversation, itself, may serve as her opening—her experience finding their husband in this strangest of all realms, the changes she found in him, how unsettling but simultaneously hopeful, even joyful she found them. But—and this is the thing that has really prevented her from starting this conversation with Yingying so far—something else will be required of her, as well. "I'm afraid I may owe her an apology."

[protagonisthalo]

"Oh?" Luo Binghe crosses his legs, his mouth quirking upwards. "What has my Empress done to my First Wife?"