After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 2

“What are you saying?” Zhou Xun stared at the Emperor in bewilderment, who returned the same gaze.

 

He seemed even more perplexed now. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, “Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron?”

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

Qinghai… distant from Pong? 

 

He didn’t understand the Emperor’s meaning. These words didn’t sound like poetry but rather like some kind of secret code. The Emperor circled around him twice, scratched his head, and then said the third sentence, “What should a unicorn do?”

 

Zhou Xun reflexively answered, “Eat a flounder.”

 

Emperor: “What’s the price of a shirt?”

 

Zhou Xun: …?

 

Emperor: “What are the Four Great Classical Novels… no, who was the person scolded to death by Zhuge Liang?”

 

Zhou Xun: “…Wang Lang?”

 

Zhou Xun remained increasingly puzzled. The Emperor seemed to be quizzing him on cultural knowledge. After asking him several more questions, the Emperor clapped his hands in frustration and said, “Fellow traveler, you’re a fellow traveler, yet you know even the famous sayings of Lu Xun. How come you don’t know basic exam questions? Were you a primary school student before you crossed over?”

 

Zhou Xun was growing more bewildered and wondered if the Emperor was using this as a way to mock him. However, the Emperor furrowed his brow, looking serious and deep in thought, as if genuinely concerned about some earth-shattering secret.

 

While the Emperor pondered, Zhou Xun remained on the ground, having already knelt for too long. Since the day of the assassination, he had been dragged into the prison, exhausted and covered in injuries. Now, he had knelt in the imperial study for quite some time, and he was already struggling to hold on.

 

In a dazed moment, he swayed and fell to the other side with a thud.

 

“Clang!”

 

His sleeve was pulled up at that moment, revealing a faded reddish burn scar on his left arm.

 

— It was an old scar that had lightened over time but still bore its mark.

 

The Emperor, upon seeing that familiar shape, was visibly shocked.

 

He stepped forward and grabbed Zhou Xun’s arm, saying, “This… this scar…”

 

Scar?

 

Zhou Xun looked at his own arm. On the pale skin was a light reddish scar.

 

It was from his childhood when a mischievous sibling from the Zhou family had poured hot water onto his arm…

 

“A long time ago, it was caused by an ignorant child…”

 

The hand gripping his wrist began to tremble. The Emperor stammered, his lips quivering, about to say something when he spotted Zhou Xun’s exposed ankle.

 

“What… what is this?!” the Emperor exclaimed in horror. “Is this… something you’ve had since birth?”

 

“Since birth?” Zhou Xun thought, realizing the Emperor might be referring to a birthmark.

 

Following the Emperor’s gaze, Zhou Xun looked at his ankle, where there was a faint birthmark.

 

He nodded slowly, struggling to do so.

 

“To recite quotes from ‘Remembering Liu Hezhen,’ to recognize lines from ‘Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again,’ to have smudges from printing gone wrong, ink blotches from when I accidentally spilled red ink on a book…” The Emperor’s expression became increasingly horrified. “And ‘Assassination of King Qin’… damn! That’s also a title from that book! Did you get inspiration from it…? You…”

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

He didn’t quite understand what the Emperor was getting at. The Emperor, however, urgently asked, “Do you still happen to know a nanny named Dayanhe?”

 

Zhou Xun thought for a moment. “In my childhood, there was a neighbor who worked as a nanny named Yanhe…”

 

The Emperor trembled, “Did she live near your house?”

 

Zhou Xun nodded.

 

“You…” The Emperor took a while, then squeezed out a voice that seemed on the verge of tears, “Do you happen to have a nickname, like ‘Language and Literature Book’?”

 

Zhou Xun was momentarily taken aback. “How did you know my nickname was ‘Yuwenshu’?”

 

*Yuwenshu – it literally means Language and Literature book

 

Zhou Xun didn’t know how the Emperor learned of his childhood nickname. His given name “Xun” had been chosen to suggest him being “humble” in comparison to his older brother, to avoid drawing attention to himself.

 

His mother came from a scholarly family and was originally meant to be his father’s legitimate wife if it weren’t for false accusations against his father. Her given name was Zhou Fei.

 

Zhou Fei, elegant and literary.

 

After he was taken in by his mentor, the mentor gave him the courtesy name “Yuwen,” which sounded like “Yuwenshu” or “Language and Literature Book.” The intention was for him to focus on literature and avoid the mundane affairs of the household.

 

However, later on, his mentor’s wish did not come true. He ended up in the Wang Residence by a twist of fate, and the Fifth Prince gave him the name Caiyu, taking the “Cai” from Zhou Cai.

 

Since then, no one ever called him “Zhou Xun” or “Zhou Yuwen.”

 

How did the Emperor know his name was Zhou Xun, and how did he know his childhood nickname?

 

*Clap!*

 

Zhou Xun was startled, his eyes wide open as he watched the emperor slap himself.

 

“Traveling back in time to become an emperor, establishing relationships with numerous literary giants, chatting and laughing, marrying a beautiful movie star-like wife…” Zhou Xun saw the emperor absentmindedly touch his own face, “Am I dreaming? Numerous literary giants, language textbooks… literary giants in the textbooks… right, Yuwenshu…”

 

Zhou Xun: ???

 

The emperor suddenly turned to look at him, staring as if he were gazing at some extraterrestrial being.

 

“Anyway, Yuwenshu won’t come back to life and come back to kill you. They couldn’t come to life after the founding of the country…” he heard himself muttering, “Is this… is this before the founding of the country? Is this the punishment of the grudges of Yuwenshu?! Wake up, assassination, Yuwenshu… big mouth, I’m calling you a big mouth!”

 

Zhou Xun?

 

The emperor’s brow furrowed like a twisted knot as he seemed to contemplate how to react.

 

“Well…” the emperor’s voice trembled, and he uttered his final question, “I’ll ask one last question… Are you… an entire book that has come to life? Or just those few pages that are most severely damaged?”

 

Zhou Xun: ???

 

What does the emperor mean by this?

 

“Your name…” the emperor trembled, “Wait a moment, your name, Xun… is it an unfair destiny that has brought you here?”

 

Zhou Xun: ???

 

Then…

 

“Plop—!”

 

Zhou Xun’s eyes widened at the loud sound. The handsome emperor had actually knelt down in front of him.

 

“Sir!” The emperor bowed to him, his expression filled with fear. “I know I was wrong!”

 

Zhou Xun: ???

 

“I shouldn’t have… Call the guards!” The emperor stood up from the ground and shouted to the outside of the study. Several royal guards rushed in. “Release… release this brave man!”

 

His words came out inexplicably, leaving the royal guards dumbfounded, exchanging bewildered glances, afraid to make a move.

 

What on earth was happening?

 

The matter of the palace banquet was closely related to the emperor’s safety, and it had been kept tightly under wraps. Others might not know the details, but they did!

 

The person kneeling in the study… had committed a crime that they all dared not speak of!

 

The emperor was known for his unpredictable temper. They had assumed that whoever entered the study would either be killed or skinned alive. They had been prepared to collect a corpse, but…

 

But why was this person suddenly being released from his restraints?

 

“What’s wrong? Has My words become ineffective?” the emperor said coldly. His inherent handsomeness and icy demeanor, combined with the suppressed anger, made everyone in the room kneel before him. “I ordered you to release him!”

 

The royal guards hurriedly approached.

 

The ropes binding Zhou Xun were loosened, and he stood bewildered in the study, having no idea what was happening.

 

A moment ago, he had been on the brink of life and death; now, the emperor was holding his hand, bowing to him twice. “Uh, well, I didn’t recognize you before, and I didn’t know you could actually come to life. If I had known, I wouldn’t have… offended you. Please forgive me, forgive me.”

 

Zhou Xun, his hand held by the emperor, felt like a cat surrounded by a pack of dogs. After a while, he stiffly uttered a sentence, “Your Majesty, earlier… have you heard of me?”

 

Hearing his question, the emperor stammered, “Well, sir, your reputation precedes you. I’ve grown up reading… reading various articles inside your works, or perhaps, the writings of that gentleman related to your transformation…”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

He automatically ignored the peculiar preposition.

 

The emperor noticed Zhou Xun’s strange expression and hurriedly added, “When you didn’t know, we had a friendship of twelve years! Not only did I read them, but I also memorized many, many of your works!”

 

*Emperor  is talking about this person

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

While he was still in Jiangzhou, he was a well-known literary talent, despite being overshadowed by Zhou Cai for most of his life. Later, when Zhou Cai went to the capital to study under a famous teacher due to family connections, Zhou Xun finally had a relatively relaxed period in his life, during which he wrote several well-received articles.

 

However, he never expected that his writings from that time would reach the emperor’s ears?

 

But twelve years… When he was seven years old, did he ever meet the emperor at that time?

 

The emperor held Zhou Xun’s hand and said something to him, but Zhou Xun couldn’t hear it. He didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad.

 

So, it was his writings from all those years ago that had touched the emperor’s heart and spared his life?

 

In the end, he chose silence.

 

During the two years he spent in the fallen royal mansion, he had almost forgotten the person he used to be in Jiangzhou. The youthful exuberance, the lively conversations, the feathered fan and fine attire… Could it be that someone in this world still remembered his past?

 

He felt a complex mix of emotions.

 

“You two,” the emperor looked him up and down, then turned to the attendants, “Why have you made him look so disheveled? Take him away, give him proper grooming and care, and as for food… whatever sumptuous feast you can find, set a table for him!”

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

For some reason, Zhou Xun felt that there was something inexplicably cautious, fearful, and… respectful in the emperor’s gaze towards him.

 

The royal guards were still in a daze when the emperor exclaimed, “Did you not hear what I said!?”

 

The commanding officer of the royal guards escorting Zhou Xun stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, about this assassination attempt…”

 

“It’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, doing wrong for the right reasons… sigh,” the emperor hastily waved his hand, forcing a laugh. “I was just fooling around with Mr. Language… for fun.”

 

The commanding officer of the royal guards: …

 

“Your Majesty!” the commanding officer of the royal guards said, “We must not prioritize personal desires over the welfare of the nation…”

 

“What do you mean by prioritizing personal desires?” the emperor’s eyebrows twitched. “This isn’t prioritizing personal desires! This is… this is… Do you know his identity?! Never mind… you definitely don’t know.”

 

He rubbed his head vigorously and said firmly, “My top priorities are: one, survival; two, sustenance; three, development. This is about preserving the seed of culture! And he… gathering literary talents around him is a way to strengthen the ranks! Moreover, if he’s the one formed from those particular pages… he’s not just a hundred percent important, he’s… a hundred and fifty percent important!”

 

After finishing his words, the emperor glanced at Zhou Xun, smiled cautiously, and Zhou Xun couldn’t help but feel that his expression was strangely pitiful, as if he were trying to please, expressing guilt, and showing reverence all at once.

 

What kind of expression was the emperor wearing?

 

The commanding officer of the royal guards: …

 

“Don’t waste any more time with pointless chatter. Take good care of Mr. Language immediately,” the emperor waved his hand and said to his personal eunuch, “Xiao Li, arrange it properly, but do not delay!”

 

In a state of confusion, Zhou Xun was escorted downstairs by several eunuchs. At this point, he still didn’t understand the twist in his fate and why it had taken such an abrupt turn.

 

The only thing he understood was…

 

He seemed to be gaining his freedom?

 

As he crossed the threshold of the study, he heard the emperor instructing the eunuch, “Take good care of him, and bring him to the Palace Chang Le in the evening… for a night discussion.”

 

A night discussion?

 

Zhou Xun was momentarily lost.

 

What exactly did the emperor want from him?

 

…

 

In the capital city, at the Zhou residence.

 

The people in the Zhou residence were bustling around like ants on a hot pan, all of them anxious. Zhou’s father couldn’t sit still in his chair, and when he saw Zhou’s mother, he slapped her across the face. “It’s all because of you that this has happened!”

 

“Mother!” Zhou Cai’s younger brother rushed to defend his mother, “Father! How dare you hit Mother!”

 

“It was all you back then, insisting on sending Lin Yan to the estate, causing her to die there…” Zhou’s father roared, “I told you to leave a way out. If her mother was still at the Zhou residence, how could he have gone so crazy!”

 

“You dare to blame me?!” Zhou’s mother covered her face, looking almost frantic. “If it weren’t for you trying to please the Fifth Prince and sending that little bastard over as a male companion… how could we be in this mess now!”

 

“Dad, Mom!” Zhou’s little sister cried as she tried to console them. “Didn’t we already disown Zhou Xun long ago? Whatever he did, it’s none of our business!”

 

“But the royal family… they’re not so easy to deal with!” Zhou’s father regretted it so much that he felt his guts turn blue. “What a calamity… it’s all a calamity…”

 

The entire Zhou family was shrouded in gloom. What was once seen by others as a prosperous household was now torn apart like a scene from a rural drama. If those who were friendly with them had seen this, they would surely be shocked.

 

This situation had persisted in the Zhou household for several days. Just a few days ago, Zhou’s mother had been boasting openly and secretly to others about her son participating in a royal banquet as a favored courtier, imagining herself as a future titled lady among the elite…

 

What if Lin Yan had been the legitimate wife of the Zhou family when she was younger? What if Lin Yan had suppressed her in various ways during her youth? In the end, Lin Yan fell seriously ill in a countryside estate and was swept away by a flash flood, her son became someone else’s adopted son, and she was the titled lady of her son who had risen to prominence!

 

But overnight, everything had changed. The Zhou residence was surrounded by royal guards, and everyone was in a state of panic. Zhou’s mother inquired endlessly, even resorting to bribing with her most treasured jade bracelet she hadn’t parted with for ten years. One of the royal guards gave her vague answers, “Your second son has gotten into big trouble at the palace!”

 

Zhou’s mother had no time to mourn her bracelet. She cried and shouted that Zhou Xun had nothing to do with their family, but the royal guard paid no heed. The younger children could only cry and fuss, while Zhou’s father could only express his anger through violence. The Zhou family had been in turmoil for several days, and they felt like they couldn’t go on like this!

 

“Big brother! The Emperor likes big brother the most!” Zhou’s younger sister said. “With big brother around, the Emperor won’t do anything to us…”

 

Her words brought a glimmer of hope to the despairing Zhou family members. Zhou’s mother, as if finally seeing a ray of light amidst the despair, cried out, “That’s right, the Emperor likes Cai so much, he won’t abandon us!”

 

Zhou’s father also looked relieved, and Zhou’s younger sister continued, “Brother, brother, where did he go? With him around, the Emperor won’t harm us!”

 

“With such a big incident at home, instead of staying at home, he’s nowhere to be found!” Zhou’s younger brother said resentfully. He had always looked up to his older brother, but now he felt a sense of grievance toward Zhou Cai. “I don’t know where he went.”

 

“Perhaps your brother is out there trying to help us!” Zhou’s mother scolded, then hugged Zhou’s younger sister, her eyes filled with hope. “Cai, you must show your mettle!”

 

At this moment, Zhou Cai, who had been placed with great expectations by his family, was kneeling at the palace gate.

 

The bricks at the palace gate were hard and cold.

 

“Mr. Zhou, there’s no need for you to do this.” A familiar young eunuch saw him kneeling at the palace gate, looking shaky, and couldn’t help but sigh. “The Emperor is interrogating… that person in the study. You kneeling here, he…”

 

“Wei Gonggong, it’s fine,” Zhou Cai raised his pale face and smiled at him. “I apologize to the Emperor… Although Zhou Xun has been expelled from the Zhou family, if I had shown more concern for him…”

 

Eunuch Wei sighed. He knew that Zhou Cai was someone who held a special place in the Emperor’s heart, and when the Emperor was being unreasonable, only Zhou Cai could persuade him. He leaned in closer to Zhou Cai and said, “Mr. Zhou, to be honest, this matter is difficult to resolve.”

 

Zhou Cai forced a smile and replied, “As long as the Emperor can calm down, I am willing to do whatever it takes.”

 

“As long as the Emperor can calm down,” Zhou Cai thought to himself, realizing that he had made a mistake this time. He couldn’t allow Zhou Xun to jeopardize his own future!

 

Yet, he still felt fear and uncertainty in his heart. He had used his cunning to make the Emperor value him like a treasure, but the Emperor’s temperament was notoriously unpredictable. Even he, at times, felt like he was walking on thin ice. Would this situation truly be resolved favorably?

 

Zhou Xun’s fate didn’t matter to him at this point. He didn’t even care about the Zhou family. Regardless, he was now kneeling here, employing the tactic of playing the victim, just to make the Emperor show some compassion and spare him!

 

A carriage stopped nearby, and a young man in purple clothing stepped out. Zhou Cai, upon seeing him, exclaimed in surprise, “Rong Fen?”

 

The newcomer was the Fifth Prince. He looked puzzled when he saw Zhou Cai. “Why are you kneeling here?”

 

Zhou Cai forced a smile through his difficulty. The Fifth Prince quickly grasped the situation and furrowed his brows, gritting his teeth. “It’s all because of him, why is he so… thoughtless!”

 

The Fifth Prince was the Emperor’s younger brother and was highly regarded as a literary figure in the imperial court. Even when facing punishment, he had limits. But Zhou Cai, not being part of the royal family, faced different circumstances. Zhou Cai whispered, “Please, Your Highness, intercede for him…”

 

The Fifth Prince paused for a moment, then spoke bitterly, “Ah Cai, you are just too kind… Both you and your brother, one is too kind, and the other is never content.”

 

Zhou Cai hung his head in silence. The Fifth Prince gritted his teeth, as if he had come to a realization. “Since it has come to this, pleading for him is futile. If he wants to die so badly, it might be better to let him die cleanly! I never understood why he…”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhou Cai suddenly went limp and fainted!

 

People around them gasped and rushed to pinch his pressure points. A servant boy cried out, “Master Cai has been kneeling here for an hour, and the Emperor…”

 

The Prince gritted his teeth and lifted his robe’s hem. “I’ll go inside and talk to my brother!”

 

“Don’t be hasty, Your Highness,” Eunuch Wei wiped his sweat, “Xiao Quanzi, you go in and inform!”

 

Seeing Zhou Cai faint, Eunuch Wei secretly cursed in his heart.

 

Who in the Forbidden City didn’t know that Zhou Cai, Lord Zhou, was someone the Emperor cherished deeply? Now that the Emperor was angry with him, but if anything really happened to him, when the Emperor calmed down, none of them, the guards of the palace gates, would escape unscathed!

 

Thinking about this, he felt a sense of resentment. Zhou Cai could have knelt anywhere, but why did he choose to kneel in front of the palace gate for the Emperor to see? It seemed like their luck was truly ill-fated!

 

Zhou Cai slowly regained consciousness, his face pale. After waking up, he spoke with a trembling voice, “The Emperor…”

 

“Eunuch Wei, Eunuch Wei!”

 

The young messenger who had been sent to inform the Emperor surprisingly returned so quickly!

 

My goodness, how could this be? It hasn’t even been half an incense stick’s time!

 

He whispered something in Eunuch Wei’s ear. Before he could even finish his sentence, Eunuch Wei turned to Zhou Cai and said, “Lord Zhou, that person…”

 

“What happened to him?”

 

The Fifth Prince seemed even more anxious than Zhou Cai.

 

“The Emperor… ordered that this matter be suppressed. They have taken that person out of the Imperial Study intact.”

 

Eunuch Wei spoke, his own confusion evident.

 

Taken out?

 

Both of them outside the door were stunned, and then the Fifth Prince said, “My brother has the most cruel temper in private. If he had executed him on the spot, it might have been better. By keeping him alive, I’m afraid…”

 

He was afraid that he would be tortured day and night, only to be released when the Emperor’s anger had subsided. By then, Zhou Xun would probably have no intact skin left, unable to live or die.

 

The words went unsaid, but their implications were clear. Zhou Cai, upon hearing this, turned even paler and swayed slightly. “The Emperor…”

 

“The Emperor has chosen to suppress this matter because he doesn’t want it to affect the Zhou family,” the Fifth Prince comforted him, “You can rest assured about that… As for him.”

 

He paused for a moment and finally said, “Since I’ve done such a thing, I should pay the price.”

 

Zhou Cai bit his lip and nodded.

 

Several servants helped him up from the ground. He had knelt for too long, and his knees were aching, probably for several days. Despite his own pain, he thought about the Zhou family’s safety. Even though the Emperor hadn’t come out to see him, he found comfort in knowing that the Zhou family had been spared.

 

His fainting spell as part of this calculated strategy had indeed been worth it! Look, as soon as the Emperor heard he had fainted, he released the Zhou family with just a few words!

 

Feeling safe himself, he had the mental capacity to think about other matters. At this moment, he couldn’t help but relish the thought of the torture Zhou Xun was currently enduring. Despite the excruciating pain in his knees, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

 

At the same time, at the palace gates.

 

Eunuch Wei watched the Zhou family’s departing carriage and sighed, “The Emperor released the Zhou family so quickly. Lord Zhou’s favor is truly unparalleled in this world.”

 

He muttered a few more words to himself but noticed the young messenger standing nearby with a hesitant expression.

 

“If you have something to say, speak up,” Eunuch Wei scolded him.

 

“Eunuch Wei, this…” The young messenger also looked somewhat confused. “I didn’t have a chance to report to the Imperial Study earlier, but that criminal… has already been released!”

 

Eunuch Wei was stunned, and the young messenger continued, “I saw Little Li leading that criminal in the direction of Chang Le Palace…”

 

Chang Le Palace?! Eunuch Wei was greatly alarmed. That was the residence of the late Emperor’s favored concubine!

 

…

 

“Let you massage properly,” in the carriage, Zhou Cai kicked the servant without hesitation, showing none of the kindness and gentleness he had displayed in front of the prince.

 

The servant obediently complied. Sitting in the carriage, Zhou Cai thought about the tortured state Zhou Xun must be in, and a twisted smile began to creep across his face.

 

Despite the excruciating pain in his knees, it felt like a small price to pay.

 

While Zhou Cai endured the pain and applied medicinal alcohol to his knees, Zhou Xun, at this moment, sat on a luxurious velvet couch with a bewildered expression.

 

After the Emperor ordered him to be untied, Zhou Xun was escorted by a dozen palace attendants to Chang Le Palace, which was the closest to the Palace of Nurtured Hearts. Chang Le Palace had originally been the residence of the late Emperor’s favored concubine, adorned with exquisite furnishings. After the late Emperor’s untimely death, the concubine had followed suit, leaving Chang Le Palace vacant.

 

Leading the group of attendants was Xiao Lizhi, the Emperor’s trusted eunuch. After observing Zhou Xun for a while, Xiao Lizhi suddenly seemed to have an epiphany. He clapped his hands enthusiastically and ordered the servants to prepare the white jade bathing pool for Zhou Xun’s use before giving him a bath.

 

“Xiao Lizhi is truly brilliant!” As they dragged Zhou Xun away, he overheard one of the young eunuchs saying, “Xiao Lizhi is undoubtedly the one who understands the Emperor the best!”

 

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lizhi couldn’t help but wear a smug smile on his face.