#8 The Yang in waiting..
Emperor Lao Zhung was on one such mission on that winter evening again. LuiFei saw lust in his eyes as he sat across the table from her. The bloodshot eyes spoke of a couple of sleepless nights. And LuiFei very well knew that the longing was not for her. She had known Lao Zhung for far too long now to be mistaken that it was her company he'd come for. LuiFei had known all the while that Lao Zhung's fascination of her body would soon wear off. But she also knew how to keep him coming back to her.The young Emperor had an insatiable appetite for the fairer sex. LuiFei was a sharp mind and had caught the Emperor's nerve. She knew exactly how to please him.
This time it would be Wu. Lao Zhung would remain indebted to LuiFei for bringing to him a virgin of exquisite beauty and charm. Wu's deep seductive eyes were now trained to lure. Wu's lilting singing had a strain of pain in it, enough to tug at Lao Zhung's heart. When Wu danced, there was oomph oozing from every move. Just a little glimpse of her delicate neck ending with the chiseled nape. LuiFei knew that once the Emperor was treated to Wu's company he would stay addicted. She had succeeded in creating her own replica. Wu would replace her. And yet, LuiFei was confident, Wu would most definitely continue to live in her shadow.
"Wu is too naive to have dreams and ambitions of her own.", she thought!
"Wu is too naive to have dreams and ambitions of her own.", she thought!
LuiFei's mind had been at work ever since she'd set her eyes on Wu. She'd decided that it was Wu and only Wu who would be her successor to the Emperor's ardour. LuiFei had everything chalked out in the back of her mind. She had drafted a master plan to keep the Emperor hooked. And Wu was the most unsuspecting tool to achieve her ends.
"I've never really utilised my position to my own means but now is the time!", LuiFei told herself.
LuiFei had much bigger plans for Wu than she had for herself in her hay days. She had groomed Wu for this day when she could use Wu's beauty to her own advantage.
LuiFei was extremely shrewd and ambitious as she'd aready displayed by securing her niche in the Empire.
And now she coveted more.
" My dear Emperor I wish to offer you a gift today. A gift I deem is worthy of your stature and your grandure. I have been working upon creating it, designing it, beautifying it for ages now. Your LuiFei's blood and sweat has gone into making it, your majesty.", LuiFei quipped.
"Aah ,I see! Then why make me wait? You must present it before me now.", demanded Lao Zhung in a tone of excitement. His voice had a craving like that of a little child.
" I beg your pardon, my dear Emperor. Like all good things come to you only through patience, you will have to wait for my gift just a while longer.", pleaded LuiFei.
Two girls training under LuiFei who had also been summoned in the Emperor's presence began to perform one of the folk dance sequence LuiFei had taught them. Another with a painted face sat plucking the LiuQuin, a fretted lute to the rhythm of the dance. There were 4 fine strings of twisted silk strung to a wooden pear-shaped body that the girl's slender fingers were steadily working at. She however refused to look up at the Emperor. This was a frail attempt at keeping the Emperor's mind from the mentioned gift.
The cups of tea were replaced with drinks at the table. The evening was advancing. As the suspense was building, The Emperor began to appear restless. At 27 he was slightly graying and the hairline on his high temple had begun to recede. However his skin was flawless and his shoulders were broader than ever. LuiFei noticed that he looked extremely handsome that evening resplendant in the royal robes. For a minute she felt that her own feelings for his young body would take over her. She wished she could unleash her own sexual prowess on him once again and have it her way. But she feared The Emperor would be turned off by her advances. This evening he was looking for greener pastures for sure. And the mention of her promising gift had indeed raised his hopes. There was no scope for her beauty to lure him, now.
Her plan had to be put into action. She had already sent her own maid in search of YinHe to deliver the message of The Emperor's arrival. LuiFei was sure YinHe would dress Wu appropriatley and present her before Lao Zhung on time.
LuiFei sent one final prayer up to the Goddess Quan Yin, to bless Wu with a beautiful aura that would rein the Emperor in for good.
A note to the reader:
Goddess Quan Yin in Sanskrit is Padma-pâni, or "Born of the Lotus." abd she is a prime Chinese diety loved rather than feared as the goddess of beauty.
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