After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 100

Clearly, the Emperor was engrossed in his own mystical connection with Lu Bin. He stroked his chin and murmured, “Drifting overseas, surviving on a deserted island, island treasures… Obviously, he’s an exceptional talent! I’ve only just started implementing advanced systems, and he’s already perceptively noticed my borrowing of experiences from beyond the Jing Kingdom and is using it to remind me…”

 

He then turned to Xun, “Brother Xun, what do you think?”

 

Xun: “…I think you could have a talk with him first.”

 

“No need to talk!” The Emperor waved his hand, “Gentlemen’s interactions are as light as water. In ancient times, gentlemen’s exchanges were all in the unspoken, understanding each other’s intentions was enough!”

 

Xun: …

 

Seeing that their thoughts seemed to be leading to positive outcomes, Xun was too lazy to say more.

 

“By the way, are you busy lately? How’s your review going? Have you finished your assignments?” The Emperor turned to Xun with concern.

 

Since moving out of the palace, Xun indeed had much more time for his studies. Old Shen was a stickler for traditional methods; in addition to the required Four Books and Five Classics for exams, he also taught him the Six Arts of a Gentleman—especially after learning that Xun had moved out of the palace, he made him study from morning till evening.

 

Lately, he had been so busy that his head was spinning. The only thing unrelated to studying was that Yan Jia had borrowed a book from him a few days ago. Xun thought for a moment and replied, “I’m doing fine, not too busy.”

 

The Emperor: “Hmm? I heard you’ve been extremely busy lately, leaving early and returning late—”

 

His words revealed how much he cared about Xun. Xun stared at him, and after a while, suddenly smiled.

 

“Of course, I’ll say I’m not busy for you. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a wasted trip for the Emperor today?”

 

The Emperor rolled his eyes: “You…”

 

“If I’m not mistaken, the Emperor is going to have a break tomorrow, right?”

 

The Emperor: …

 

“You noticed that? Great, let’s go out together tomorrow… no, let’s go on a date, shall we?” The Emperor rubbed his nose and said.

 

Xun was about to agree when he heard Lian Rong whispering nearby, “Um, Young Master, didn’t you forget about the important matter tomorrow?”

 

“What important matter?”

 

Seeing Xun’s somewhat confused look, Lian Rong became anxious. She whispered even more softly, “Of course, of course, it’s the… the case of the Zhou family!”

 

The Zhou family’s case?

 

Xun: …I was so busy that I forgot.

 

He was indeed looking forward to Zhou Hong’s execution, but compared to the Emperor’s earnest smile at the moment…

 

Just as Xun was about to speak, he heard the Emperor say, “Ah, the Zhou family’s case! It’s no big deal, no big deal!”

 

Xun: ?

 

“The case was previously with the Jang Guards, and there was a lot of noise from the censors. So, it was handed over to the Criminal Department. The Jang Guards are collaborating on the trial, which is just right to test the newly experimental court model.” The Emperor waved his hand, “If you want to see it, it’s no trouble!”

 

Xun paused and said, “But you…”

 

The Emperor: “It’s fine. Here’s the plan: The court session is in the afternoon. We’ll head out in the morning, go shopping, have lunch, go to the court in the afternoon, have dinner, and then watch a play. How does that sound?”

 

The day was fully planned out in a single sentence. Xun smiled and nodded, “Sounds good.”

 

“Then it’s settled!” The Emperor clapped his knee, “I’ll come here to pick you up tomorrow morning!”

 

Thus, the plan for their first date was set with just a few words. After chatting for a bit, Xun saw the Emperor out and watched him leave.

 

“It’s getting late, you should rest early!” The Emperor waved and said, “Good night!”

 

Xun also smiled, “Good night.”

 

After closing the door, Xun felt as though he had forgotten something. He lay in bed, tossing and turning, until late into the night.

 

Meanwhile, under the same moonlight, everyone in the Zhou residence was also sleepless.

 

Zhou’s mother had spoiled Zhou Hong since childhood. As the saying goes, “Pain in the son, suffering in the mother’s heart.” The suffering Zhou Hong endured in the prison had been matched by the torment Zhou’s mother felt. Just thinking about the tortures Zhou Hong had suffered made her fingers ache as if they were being crushed.

 

Now that Zhou Hong’s case was finally going to be tried—no longer by the Jang Guards but by the Criminal Department—Zhou’s mother felt a sense of relief. She knew that her son’s hard work was not unrelated to this outcome. However, the proceedings in the Criminal Department were one thing, and Zhou Hong’s final outcome was another. Until things were finalized, Zhou’s mother couldn’t rest easy, especially since tomorrow was the day the case would be formally tried.

 

“Cai’er, do you think Hong’er’s matter is really settled?”

 

In the deep of night, the Zhou family was still awake. Zhou’s mother sat in the hall, holding her son’s hand, anxiously asking, “But until the verdict is given, I can’t rest easy…”

 

Zhou Cai’s face showed a hint of impatience, but Zhou’s mother didn’t notice. He said gently, “Mother, don’t worry. I’ve already made arrangements with the Lu family. Things are up to people. And now that the case has been transferred to the Criminal Department, it’s good news that it’s no longer with the Jang Guards.”

 

“Oh, oh…”

 

Zhou’s mother had received the answer she wanted for the seventh time. She pondered for a while, looking at her now weary eldest son, and remembered the harsh words she had once said to him in her frustration. Suddenly, a maternal tenderness surged within her.

 

“Cai’er, this time, it’s really thanks to you,” Zhou’s mother said with guilt. “Before, I spoke out of momentary panic and said those things. Don’t take them to heart!”

 

Zhou Cai paused, his smile fading slightly: “The son understands.”

 

“Only in times of adversity do we see who will kick someone when they’re down!” Zhou’s mother spat. “Those people who flocked around you when you were favored, now that you’re down, they scatter like monkeys fleeing from a fallen tree. That Lady An Guo, who once said she was so idle and invited me to her estate to enjoy the flowers. And that Lady Zhao Hui… Now I see through them all! The other day, when I sent a memorial, they all changed their attitudes.”

 

“Alas, you were too kind-hearted back then, and didn’t plan more for yourself. Whatever the Emperor bestowed upon you, you always declined. If only I had a title, things wouldn’t be so difficult,” Zhou’s mother sighed. “This world…”

 

— Plan more for oneself?

 

— Perhaps it was Zhou’s mother who should have planned more for herself.

 

Zhou Cai pressed his lips together but did not say anything. He offered a few more words of comfort and advice to Zhou’s mother before leaving the pavilion.

 

As soon as he left the pavilion, his expression darkened, and his pace quickened. His long-time maid quickly caught up with him, carrying a lantern. “Young Master, Madam…”

 

“Madam only thinks of herself,” Zhou Cai murmured. “How laughable that for so many years, I thought I was the most favored heir of the Zhou family… How laughable that for so many years, I devoted myself to the Zhou family, thinking the Zhou family was devoted to me, and that I was striving for the family’s glory…”

 

He lowered his head and then smiled. “In the end, the Zhou family is nothing more than this.”

 

…But, Young Master, after all these years, you were indeed nurtured by the Zhou family, weren’t you? The Zhou family spared no effort in providing you with the best teachers, giving you the greatest prestige. When Second Young Master Zhou Xun was around, his allowances were not even a tenth of yours. Now that the Zhou family is in trouble, Young Master should…

 

The maid opened her mouth but didn’t dare to speak.

 

In the past, she thought the Young Master was a very good person, and she would have dared to speak to him like that. But now, she dared not say a word.

 

So, she silently followed Zhou Cai. Zhou Cai arrived at the courtyard where Zhou’s father was resting and told the maid, “I’ll go in to see Father. You stay outside.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Zhou Cai went in. His father was pacing around the room. Seeing his father’s aged and foolish appearance made Zhou Cai even more impatient.

 

Even so, he maintained a smile on his face: “Father.”

 

“Have the arrangements for tomorrow’s matter with Ah Hong been made?”

 

Zhou Cai nodded. His demeanor in front of his father was completely different from the one he had in front of his mother. Zhou Cai said with a light smile, “Father, don’t forget the promise you made to me.”

 

“If there’s a change, cut off the tail to save oneself…” Zhou’s father read these words and sneered. “I didn’t expect that the child I’ve raised all these years would do such things!”

 

“This is for the entire Zhou family, isn’t it?” Zhou Cai said smoothly. “No matter what, Zhou Hong has greatly affected the reputation of the Zhou family. Since this influence cannot be suppressed, why not maximize its advantage and correct the family’s customs? As the elder brother, I shouldn’t intervene directly; it’s up to Father to play the villain.”

 

Zhou’s father sneered: “Are you threatening your father?”

 

“Dare not,” Zhou Cai said politely. “It’s only for the benefit of the unborn younger brother. It’s a good thing for Father to have a child in old age. Cai’er also hopes for the prosperity of the Zhou family.”

 

His mentioning of this made Zhou’s father panic. He quickly said, “Your mother…”

 

“Mother naturally doesn’t know about this matter. We mustn’t let her be a hindrance,” Zhou Cai smiled.

 

Zhou’s father then felt relieved. He realized he had just lost his fatherly authority, and was about to say something when Zhou Cai already took his leave: “Son is leaving now.”

 

As Zhou Cai left his father’s courtyard, the maid followed behind with the lantern. She noticed Zhou Cai’s brows were no longer furrowed as they had been before and tentatively asked, “Has the Young Master’s matter… been settled?”

 

Zhou Cai smiled.

 

He stopped in front of a flower bed, looked at the disheveled Zhou residence, and muttered to himself, “After this ordeal, I finally understand that I am the future head of the Zhou family. The future head of the Zhou family can only be me. However…”

 

He picked a flower and crushed it in his palm.

 

The bright red juice stained his hand, resembling someone’s blood. He murmured, “But the Zhou family should be as it is defined by me, the Young Master. I will inherit part of the Zhou family, but not everything. First, I need to prune the branches…”

 

“Cai’er.”

 

The voice of Zhou’s mother came from behind. Zhou’s mother, in a fluster, said, “I still can’t sleep soundly. You said…”

 

“Mother,” Zhou Cai turned to comfort her, “Tonight, we’re not the only ones unable to sleep. For example…”

 

His gaze turned to a nearby open area.

 

It’s amusing that as he walked, he had unconsciously arrived at the place where Zhou Xun used to live.

 

What was Zhou Xun to him in the past? Zhou Cai could no longer remember. If he had to say, Zhou Xun had once been a void in his heart, a gray and dim shadow.

 

And he was the Zhou family’s treasured jewel, a pearl. How could he care about a handful of dust?

 

He studied in the capital, while Zhou Xun remained in Jiangzhou in obscurity. He had friends, family, and a mother who helped suppress Zhou Xun… While Zhou Xun had nothing.

 

He could even give Zhou Xun away as a gift, and Zhou Xun could do nothing about it.

 

This was the difference between him and Zhou Xun.

 

Yet, in recent months, he had been obsessively thinking about this person he once disregarded, who wasn’t even considered a rival. He thought about Zhou Xun’s indifference the last time they met, as if he were worthless trash…

 

Zhou Xun did not see him, but he thought of trampling on Zhou Xun day and night.

 

“Now he must also be thinking that he can’t sleep here,” Zhou Cai suddenly laughed, “He hates us.”

 

Somehow, thinking that Zhou Xun was also thinking about him… gave him a twisted sense of pleasure.

 

They were now only thinking of each other, only hating each other… And that was good.

 

Meanwhile, at Zhou Xun’s residence.

 

“I just remembered,” Zhou Xun, who had not been able to sleep for a long time, muttered.

 

…He had forgotten to remind the Emperor to dress properly.