After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 137

Chapter 137: “Xiao Yueliang(Little Moonlight)… is getting married.”

 

Basketball performances, taekwondo displays, breaking large stones…

 

After hearing the emperor introduce each performance, Prince Kang’s expression cracked.

 

“My concubines are all battle-hardened and could even race boats,” the emperor said, patting his knee, looking very proud and delighted. “But I didn’t expect that the concubines of Prince Kang, though appearing fragile, are actually martial arts experts!”

 

Prince Kang: …

 

“I am not talented,” the young man’s voice rang out in the hall, “I only know some songs and dances. May I ask if there is a place to change clothes in the palace?”

 

Zhou Xun looked again at the young man kneeling on the ground. The young man smiled, his eyes sparkling with a bright, shimmering light.

 

…

 

The young man was taken to a side hall to change, returning with his pipa. But after finishing a piece of music, the brightness in his eyes was gone. As he sat back beside Prince Kang, the prince tried to stroke his face but was met with a cold smile and evasion.

 

After a joyful performance of “Unforgettable Tonight,” the entire evening’s entertainment concluded. Just as everyone was about to leave, Prince Kang suddenly laughed loudly and said, “The land of Jing is full of talents and is truly a good place. But I did not come here just for fun; I also have a message from my royal brother to deliver to the emperor of Jing.”

 

“First, I came to discuss peace talks. In the past, Jing sent 10,000 pounds of gold, cloth, and grain to Northern Wei every year. Why did you not send them this year?” Prince Kang’s expression turned cold. “Second, I came to find someone. When I was in Yunzhou, a certain official with the surname Zhou helped me. Yesterday, upon entering the capital, I heard that he was imprisoned. What, does the emperor of Jing claim to be so ‘clear on right and wrong’?”

 

Having finished speaking, he raised his eyes to glare at the emperor. In the past, Jing was known for its culture and weak military power, so it had been sending tribute every year. But this year, with the change in emperor, the tribute was cut off.

 

But what he didn’t expect was that the emperor of Jing merely glanced at him and smiled, saying, “Oh, this is the first time I’ve heard someone beg for alms so shamelessly—gentlemen, have you ever seen such a beggar?”

 

“You!”

 

Prince Kang was enraged. The emperor sneered again, “You can’t beg and then try to turn hostile? Who gave you the courage for that? Was it Liang Jingru? I’ve been wanting to deal with you guys for a long time, but I didn’t expect you to come to me first.”

 

“Does the emperor think he’s speaking to whom?” Prince Kang stood up, and his Northern Wei guards also rose. “Does Jing not fear Northern Wei’s revenge?”

 

“Revenge? What revenge? Hair loss? Without Prince Kang, I could still use霸王 (Bawang)!” the emperor retorted.

 

“My Northern Wei’s iron cavalry…”

 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” the emperor sneered. “Money? I won’t give you a single penny! I don’t even have enough for myself! Face? I won’t give you any of that either. Your faces are already thick enough, no need for me to add any more!”

 

He added, “Someone, bring the fruit basket and mineral water to Prince Kang, and show him out!”

 

A few little eunuchs hurriedly placed the commemorative fruit basket and water jug on his table. Several guards told Prince Kang, “Your Highness, please.”

 

Prince Kang glared at the emperor, his voice dripping with venom. “Fine, emperor of Jing, emperor of Jing… Remember, remember what you said today!”

 

…

 

That night, after the banquet.

 

Zhou Xun walked into the Yangxin Hall, where the emperor was sitting on the bed, seemingly lost in thought.

 

He sat beside him, placing his hand on the emperor’s hand. The atmosphere of deep contemplation surrounding the emperor dissipated immediately, and the emperor chuckled, holding Zhou Xun’s hand. “Warm my hand.”

 

Zhou Xun: “It’s almost summer.”

 

After a pause, he asked, “Was His Majesty thinking about Prince Kang?”

 

The emperor nodded, his expression showing a bit of lingering unease. Zhou Xun looked at him, puzzled. “Your Majesty… are you scared by his threat?”

 

This shouldn’t be the case, right? Didn’t he just say, ‘Don’t speak without warning’?

 

“Just a little,” the emperor solemnly nodded, his expression serious. “That last thing he said really bothered me. I keep thinking about it. By the way, look at me.”

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

The emperor pointed to his face and said, “I look pretty handsome now, right?”

 

Zhou Xun nodded.

 

“Damn, I knew it. The prince of New Moon, the emperor of Jing… Damn! I’m going to chop off his dio!!” The emperor slammed his thigh, extremely angry. “Using analogy, this bastard Prince Kang, what he said just now was a threat. He wants to mess with me!!”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

The emperor: “Damn!!!”

 

Zhou Xun never expected that the emperor was so uneasy because of that. He couldn’t help but laugh, and the emperor, seeing him so amused, felt even more aggrieved. “How can you not have any sympathy? It’s terrifying! I’m a steel…”

 

Zhou Xun: “Hmm?”

 

The emperor: “With a steel will, I only love you, my straight man.”

 

Zhou Xun twitched his mouth, then pulled out a box. “Speaking of which, I found something just now.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Zhou Xun opened the box, and inside it lay a short sword. When the emperor saw the sword, he was stunned. He cautiously looked at Zhou Xun, who looked back at him in confusion.

 

“…I shouldn’t have done anything bad recently, right?” The emperor cautiously said. “I promise I haven’t hidden a little treasure! Maybe I spent too much on the new gallery? Or is it the valley where the cannon got blown up again? Or the Ministry of Rites… It must be the Ministry of Rites! Those little bastards! I’ll cut the money for their sacrifices and give it to you.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

“It’s not that. I found it inside the pipa of the prince of New Moon,” Zhou Xun said. “He hid a knife inside.”

 

“He wants to kill me??”

 

“It should be that he wants to kill Prince Kang. But no matter who he wants to kill, he can’t do it at our palace banquet. If something happens, it’ll be hard to explain,” Zhou Xun said.

 

“Oh,” the Emperor said. “Damn, this Prince Kang is really a scumbag.”

 

“If Northern Wei really comes to fight, is the Emperor prepared?” Zhou Xun asked.

 

“Let them fight, who’s afraid?” the Emperor sneered. “I’ve long disliked them. They want me to spend money to support them? In their dreams! I’ve even put my own private treasury into the national treasury, and now they want money from me? I have no money left myself. If they dare to come, I’ll send people to invade Northern Wei and take their entire national treasury with us!!”

 

…So it’s still a matter of money.

 

Zhou Xun lay in the Emperor’s arms for a while, and after some time, he asked, “Is Master doing well in Jiangzhou?”

 

“Jiangzhou? Your Master… oh, he’s fine, he’s fine,” the Emperor smiled.

 

Zhou Xun raised his eyes to look at him, a hint of doubt flashing in his heart.

 

When he received the position of Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Household, he had planned to visit Master Shen in Youhao Alley to share the good news. However, the bookstore was closed, and when he returned, he received a letter from Master Shen, saying that the Emperor had sent him to Jiangzhou and that everything was fine, asking him not to worry.

 

Zhou Xun had originally believed this. But now, looking at the Emperor’s reaction, he felt something was off.

 

This matter was set aside. The next day was a holiday. The Emperor clung to Zhou Xun for the entire night, and in the morning, he went to work. Zhou Xun went out to the street and saw that the Jingwei Guard seemed to be quite lively.

 

“That Northern Wei’s Prince Kang is here, demanding we release someone,” He Liang shrugged when he saw him.

 

“Release whom?”

 

“Of course, it’s Zhou Cai. God knows how he got involved with Prince Kang again, back when he was working in Yunzhou. It’s like a fly that never goes away, no matter how much you try to swat it.”

 

In the distance, Prince Kang was still causing a scene. He said something, and Lu Xian Dao coldly retorted. Prince Kang’s expression darkened, and he raised his hand to lash out at Lu Xian Dao with a whip. Lu Xian Dao, caught off guard by the sudden brutality, froze for a moment.

 

Just as the whip was about to land, suddenly, it was gone.

 

“Hey hey, harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth!” Bai Yuxing stood nearby, holding the whip, smiling, “This whip, with gold and jade inlays, is quite nice. Young Master Bai will take it!”

 

Lu Xian Dao stared at him in a daze. Bai Yuxing winked at him, saying, “What’s wrong, Lu? Are you going to accuse me of stealing again?”

 

“You!”

 

As the situation was about to spiral out of control, Zhou Xun furrowed his brow, preparing to give orders, when a carriage stopped beside him. Familiar voices came from inside: “Let’s go up and try to mediate.”

 

“Damn it, another roadblock, why is there traffic everywhere in this capital city? Liangzhou is much better.”

 

Prince Duan?

 

Looking at the pattern, it seemed like Prince Duan’s carriage. The first person to get out was Prince Duan. Just as Zhou Xun was about to speak to him, he saw…

 

“Bang!!”

 

Prince Kang was knocked to the ground in an instant, his face pressed against the dirty ground, the other side of his face being stepped on, looking utterly disgraceful. The person stepping on him was a man in his thirties, still tall and handsome. The man exuded a wild, cold aura as he looked down at Prince Kang, grinning, “So you’re the one blocking the road and hitting our Jingguo people?”

 

“You!” Prince Kang was about to erupt in anger but froze when he saw the man’s face. “You are… that…”

 

The man didn’t waste any words. He kicked him a few times, then grabbed his hair and pulled him up. “What, haven’t you been beaten enough in Liangzhou?”

 

“You, you, you…”

 

Prince Kang was utterly terrified. He stood up, scrambling to run away. After he left, the man spat on the ground, “Damn, I hate seeing this little bastard!”

 

His figure looked both dashing and upright.

 

“Let’s go.” Prince Duan came up, tugging at the man’s sleeve, casually saying, “He’s still your little Gu’s brother after all.”

 

“What little Gu? I’ve had nothing to do with that ungrateful bastard for a long time.” The man got back into the carriage with Prince Duan, still talking. After a while, as the carriage was about to leave, Zhou Xun suddenly heard the man say, “Rong Yu, was that intentional just now???”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

He looked at He Liang and asked, “Who was that person?”

 

“Princess Duan. General Wan.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

The image of a beautiful and gentle woman he once had in his heart shattered.

 

At the same time, the image of Lu Xian Dao also shattered. He watched Bai Yuxing, who was standing under the sun, swinging the whip in his hand with a smug look, and with all his strength, said casually, “What brings you here to find me?”

 

The whip stopped moving.

 

“You know,” he saw Bai Yuxing suddenly smile bitterly, “Xiao Yueliang… is getting married.”

 

Xiao Yueliang is Little Moonlight in English