House Zhu

The Zhu Palace was always a clan of humans, but during the early days of the Empire, before even the first Celestial Emperor, who was blessed by the heavens to defend this fertile land from the onslaught of demonic invasions, there was also a Zhu. The one credited for establishing the clan had secretly sold his soul to a demoness that promised him riches and prosperity, and to seal the deal, he put his seed inside her. The offspring of that union was House Zhu, and the supposed reason why they had the unnaturally red hair they were born with. It was a crimson hue in fact, and Zhu Xiaolian, Zhu Fang’s beautiful rose of a daughter, sported that red hair as she stood inside a conference room before a board, discussing the recent finances of the Zhu Family.

Xiaolian was tall, and had the body of an hourglass. Her impressive bust was a feature she made sure all her custom fitted hanfu would show off, and it certainly helped keep the attention of men as she did presentations like this. Her crimson hair reached her thin waist and swayed as she paced back and forth in the room while delivering the reports. This motion caused her sweet perfume to waft around the room, like a spell it kept the attention of everyone, even her father.

What a pig! She thought. Despite her thoughts, however, she liked teasing her father, knowing that her mother did not do it for him anymore.

The presentation was dry otherwise. The Zhu family was benefiting from the miracle of compounding interest, and the Great Houses were paying back loans at an acceptable rate, all but one anyway, House Xue. Being the Celestial Emperor had perks, especially if it meant digging into the near bottomless coffers of the Zhu Family Holdings. There was no animosity though, House Zhu had always willingly adjusted the monetary supply and interest rates for the Celestial Emperor as devout followers of the Heavenly Mandate, but that did not blind them from the business behind it all. The last time House Zhu managed to work their way into the Celestial Palace as a title of Empress, the combined assets of the Empire and the Zhu Family Banks went a long way for both families. So why was Xiaolian not excited? A wife was supposed to marry a man, and if what Xiaolian read from the Imperial Councilors is accurate, well…

“Marvelous!” Fang stood up, clapping at the presentation's conclusion. It was excessive, but the board members did the same out of courtesy. Not all the board members were blood related to House Zhu. “I do hope his Imperial Majesty would be willing to let you continue business within the Zhu Family.”

Fang approached Xiaolian and wrapped his arm around her, letting his hand rest on her hip. He did this in front of the board often, his way of asserting dominance. It certainly implied something that was not true, if nothing else. There were some formal goodbyes and bowing that took place as the room emptied out, and soon it was just Xiaolan and her father. The mood suddenly grew more serious than the recently ended board meeting.

“How goes the preparations, my beautiful rose flower?” Asked Fang. Both of his warm hands on her rosy cheeks.

“All my belongings should be getting unpacked at the Imperial Palace as we speak, father. Along with an ample staff to allow me to help with the Banking statements remotely.”

Fangs’s hands slid down Xiaolian’s neck, to her bare cleavage, until they cupped her ample breasts, “That I should have to offer you to that boy. Damn that House Song! Qian was there, he agreed-”

Fang stopped himself from growing more agitated. With each sentence, his grip on Xiaolian's breast grew tighter. He stopped cupping his daughter’s breasts and hugged her. “I hope you become his Empress, and that he will let you Lead House Zhu from time to time.”

“I will do my best to get a handle on the situation, Father.” Xiaolian hugged him back. She even had to hold back tears. Even though she had always thought her father a pig, he was her pig in a way, and did not want to leave behind the fun she had running the family for him.

“If you ever need anything, just write me. Send a Messenger Falcon and I will be ready to help you at a moment's notice. Especially if that witch gets involved.”

“We’ve maneuvered through her web for ten years. I think I can manage her deceit.” Said Xiaolian confidently. Breaking the hug from her father, she continued, “I can make a friend of the Emperor like I have made friends with the board members. With him, I can keep her in check. Even in her roost.”

“That’s my beautiful rose flower. Cunning and sharp witted like the thorns on the stem.”

Xiaolian would not fall to the clutches of Empress Dowager Yi.