Chapter 1: Harassing the Palace Maids

To say that Kou Reishin was furious would be the understatement of the entire history of Saiunkoku.

"What do you mean, 'The Emperor and the Kou-kihi spent the night together'?" he grit out, fury glowing red in normally dispassionate eyes. The maid was cowering; she could see why the Emperor himself was so afraid of the Civil Administration Department head.

"I… I…" She desperately willed the ground to swallow her whole. Of all people, why did it have to be her who got interrogated by Chamberlain Kou? Reishin's gaze did not waver, if anything, it grew more intense, and his cheeks flushed with rage, as if her silent fear was conveying unspoken words. She inched back, shuffling step by shuffling step, praying silently that he would not notice the distance she was putting between them.

No such luck. She flinched, as her back pressed against the unforgiving wall, Reishin towering over her like an avenging god.

Biting her lip, the maid cast furtive glances to the length of the corridor, hoping with all her heart that some kind noble or other would miraculously appear and save her. Of course, no such thing happened, especially since everyone who wanted to live specifically avoided the corridor, where palpable death vibes emanated from the enraged Chamberlain.

"Answer me." His voice was sharp and brittle; any moment, the rage would consume him.

"A servant girl said she saw with her own eyes that… that… the Emperor had entered the Kou-kihi's sleeping chambers last night, and was in her bed this morning." If she had expected Reishin's anger to abate with her answer, she was sorely mistaken. If looks could kill, Reishin's would render a person to a blackened corpse.

"How. Dare. You. Spread. Rumors." Laser beams fairly emitted from his eyes; she felt trapped, and tears began prickling her eyes.

"But…it's true!" She had already moved as far back as the corridor width would allow. Her teeth sank even deeper into her bottom lip, drawing coppery blood.

"Ah! Chamberlain Kou!"

A miracle had appeared. Or a hallucination. Still, it was hard not to love Shou Taishi when he heroically rescued you from Kou Reishin's death glare, no matter that she had always thought of him as an irritating old man.

As Reishin's glare shifted from her to the amused old man, the maid slumped to the floor with relief, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Ahhh. You've made her cry. Shame on you, Chamberlain Kou." The old man chuckled, stroking his beard in delight. Sadly, his happy mood seemed to inversely influence Reishin, whose face turned even blacker with each passing second in the advisor's presence.

"You should be happy; the Emperor seems to have consummated his relationship with Kou-kihi. We can expect an heir soon."

"You old meddler. WHAT DID YOU DO?"

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My first Saiunkoku fic. R&R :D