After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 26

“Is Your Majesty sure about calling twenty-two concubines to accompany the carriage?” Xiao Li Zi asked nervously.

 

The Emperor nodded. Xiao Li Zi hesitated, “Your Majesty, isn’t this quantity a bit too much…”

 

“It’s more fun with more people,” the Emperor waved his hand, “Just go find them…”

 

“This…”

 

“Oh, remember to ask them to wear light clothing, none of those big sleeves or long skirts. When everyone’s bumping into each other, it gets hot, and those clothes would be obstructive,” the Emperor casually advised.

 

“Bumping into each other?” Xiao Li Zi asked, confused.

 

Although a hundred questions surged in his mind, Xiao Li Zi faithfully accepted the order.

 

Perhaps, however, it might not be necessarily… He comforted himself, perhaps the Emperor just…

 

As he took a few steps out, the Emperor seemed to remember something and called out loudly, “Wait.”

 

Xiao Li Zi quickly turned back, the Emperor’s expression a bit embarrassed, yet somewhat bashful.

 

“Don’t choose concubines with too robust figures,” the Emperor added, “If they’re too robust… I… might not be able to handle it.”

 

Xiao Li Zi glanced deeply at the Emperor, his voice filled with loyalty as he fought back tears, “Yes!”

 

The Emperor:…

 

“Why does he look like he’s about to face heroic sacrifice?” Zhou Xun heard the Emperor mutter softly, “Is it that dangerous?”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

With a dazed expression, Xiao Li Zi headed towards the palace. Just before he left, he glanced at the Emperor with awe and then cast a sympathetic look towards Zhou Xun.

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

The Emperor called a guard over and whispered a few words in his ear. Seeing Zhou Xun looking in their direction, the Emperor suddenly showed a look of realization.

 

“Sir,” he exclaimed cheerfully, “Shall we go together?”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

“Is Your Majesty suggesting…” he struggled to speak.

 

“Working overtime every day is too tiring. Let’s bring some people to exercise and relax together,” the Emperor said with a hearty smile.

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

“This…” he struggled to say, “Is Your Majesty suggesting…”

 

The Emperor’s smile became more genuine.

 

“Sweating, increasing blood flow, the organic combination of life and movement, helps relax the body and mind,” the Emperor said with a hearty smile as he patted Zhou Xun’s shoulder, causing him to tilt downwards, “Let’s go together—”

 

“Play soccer!!” The Emperor said excitedly.

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

He swore he heard the maid, Hong Ling, who was carefully walking by with something in her hands, stumble and make a clumsy sound.

 

…

 

Xiao Li Zi led the way with his men on the palace road. Seeing the gate of the Chuxiu Palace in front of him, he instinctively stopped and turned to look at the attendants beside him.

 

– Fortunately, he had brought enough guards today. Xiao Li Zi breathed a sigh of relief and wiped his forehead with his handkerchief.

 

The Emperor had a penchant for male favorites, which was widely known throughout the Chuxiu Palace. However, being young and healthy, the Emperor could have children whenever he wished, so the courtiers were not particularly concerned. Some ambitious officials even voluntarily sent their sons to the palace to please the Emperor—even if they were not chosen by the Emperor, they could be released after a few years without much loss. The Emperor was generous towards his male favorites, providing them with considerable severance pay, which he could afford.

 

There were numerous male favorites in the Chuxiu Palace—some were sent in by others, some were chosen by the Emperor during his incognito visits, and some volunteered themselves. Unlike the formally titled concubines, they resided in the Chuxiu Palace, waiting for the Emperor’s whim to summon them for intimate companionship, hoping to soar to greater heights.

 

To be honest, most of these male favorites were quite attractive. In fact, a considerable number of them appeared delicate and fragile upon entering the palace, even more so than women… Sometimes, when Xiao Li Gonggong passed by them during his duties, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride as a man.

 

However, the palace was a place that tested one’s physical and mental strength. Even the gentlest women could become ruthless once they entered the harem. Similarly, even the most delicate men would…

 

Moreover, ever since Zhao Yue was elevated to the rank of Noble Consort due to the Zhao family’s influence, rumors had spread that the Emperor had a penchant for such preferences. The rumors quickly spread throughout the harem, and the male favorites began to emulate Zhao Yue’s behavior, completely transforming themselves.

 

…In retrospect, it was no wonder that the Emperor had been so infatuated with Zhou Cai in the past, even avoiding the harem for three consecutive months. Perhaps it was to avoid these unpleasant matters.

 

The gate of the Chuxiu Palace grew nearer and nearer. Xiao Li Zi looked at the palace buildings inside, feeling a lump in his throat.

 

“Xiao Li Gonggong.” The chief steward on duty at the Chuxiu Palace warmly greeted him, “What brought the wind to blow you here?”

 

Xiao Li Zi nodded reservedly.

 

“The Emperor is in a good mood today. Go to the Chuxiu Palace and pick out twenty-two good ones to accompany me in serving the Emperor,” Xiao Li Zi ordered, “After gathering them, have them come to this open space first, and let me take a look.”

 

“Twenty-two?” The chief steward was taken aback, doubting his own ears, “Xiao Li Gonggong, are you sure about this number?”

 

Xiao Li Zi raised his eyebrows, “I told you to bring twenty-two people, so bring twenty-two people. Why waste so much breath? Go and do your duty!”

 

The chief steward nodded obediently, saying, “I will instruct someone to go find them.”

 

As the chief steward dispatched his men, Xiao Li Zi stood outside the gate of the Chuxiu Palace, looking at the vague figures inside, feeling a chill down his spine.

 

…For some reason, he couldn’t help but feel that since the Emperor had ordered a reduction in the number of male favorites in the Chuxiu Palace last time, the atmosphere in the already complicated palace had become even more intense.

 

…However, since it was the harem. Xiao Li Zi comforted himself, it wouldn’t make much difference no matter how it changed…

 

Just as he was thinking this, waves of joyous cheers suddenly erupted from the Chuxiu Palace.

 

“The Emperor finally remembered us!”

 

“Sob sob, I thought I was going to lose my job!”

 

“Gonggong! Choose me! Choose me!”

 

“Which bastard just kicked me in the butt? This opportunity to accompany the Emperor belongs to me!”

 

“Sob sob… you guys are so rough, you bumped into me…”

 

Xiao Li Zi:…

 

…For some reason, upon hearing the last cry, he felt a strange sense of relief.

 

…At least, there were still some normal male favorites in this palace. Xiao Li Zi couldn’t help but feel grateful.

 

…

 

Xie Zhengqing followed a young eunuch as they walked along the palace road.

 

Last night, upon hearing Zhou Cai’s sobbing cries, Xie Zhengqing didn’t disturb him. Instead, he bid farewell to the Zhou residence and rode back to his own home in a sedan chair.

 

Dignified individuals are reluctant to let others see their most vulnerable and powerless moments of breakdown. Xie Zhengqing believed that Zhou Cai was such a person.

 

Zhou Cai would rather lock himself in his room, blaming and hurting himself, than show even a hint of pain in front of others. Seeing Zhou Cai in such a desperate state, Xie Zhengqing couldn’t help but feel that the rumored Zhou Xun was truly despicable.

 

However, relying solely on one person’s words would inevitably be biased… Xie Zhengqing had been hesitating whether to inquire further about the whole situation. But as he passed through Zhuque Street, he saw the heavily guarded Fifth Prince’s Mansion.

 

He lifted the curtain of the carriage and asked the servant, “Why is there heavy security guarding the Fifth Prince’s Mansion?”

 

The servant didn’t know and had to ask someone else for information.

 

The news he received was shocking— the Emperor had actually confined the Fifth Prince in the mansion for the sake of “Zhou Gongzi”!

 

It was inconceivable that the Emperor would undermine the Fifth Prince’s dignity for a new favorite like this!

 

This was simply… absurd!

 

Xie Zhengqing spent a sleepless night, pondering over the matter of “Zhou Xun”. He only drifted off to sleep in the early hours of the morning. The next morning, he eagerly submitted a report to the palace.

 

He wanted an audience with the Emperor.

 

Who exactly was this Zhou Xun? How could he bewitch the Emperor’s mind like this? Even if they were reincarnations of Daji or Bao Si, they wouldn’t be like this!

 

What kind of enchanting beauty was he? How could he captivate people like this?

 

Xie Zhengqing waited for a long time at the palace gate before receiving a reply from the eunuchs. They said that the Emperor was with Zhou Gongzi and asked Xie Zhengqing to meet him in the Imperial Garden.

 

Zhou Gongzi, again!

 

Although he had never met Zhou Xun, an image of a charming and alluring face had already formed in his mind.

 

With a heavy heart, Xie Zhengqing followed the young eunuch into the Imperial Garden. As they passed a corner, he couldn’t help but exclaim softly.

 

“Those men…,” he frowned at the imposing group of people marching towards the Imperial Garden, “Are they new palace guards?”

 

The eunuch smiled knowingly, “General Xie, you’re mistaken. These people are not newly recruited palace guards.”

 

“Not palace guards?” Xie Zhengqing looked at one of them, who seemed too robust for his liking, and asked, “Then what are they?”

 

The eunuch nodded towards the direction of the Chuxiu Palace, “They come from the Chuxiu Palace.”

 

“Chuxiu Palace?” Xie Zhengqing asked, surprised.

 

“Yes,” the eunuch said, “I saw Xiao Li Gonggong leading them. Xiao Li Gonggong serves the Emperor personally and knows his preferences better than anyone else.”

 

Xie Zhengqing:…

 

The eunuch continued, “They are probably the Emperor’s recently favored concubines.”

 

“The Emperor… recently favored concubines?”

 

Xie Zhengqing was dumbfounded.

 

So the Emperor… likes this type?

 

“But if we’re talking about the most favored recently, it’s still Zhou Gongzi,” the chatty eunuch continued, “The Emperor is so fond of him that he summoned him to accompany him on the first sight and has housed him in the Yangxin Palace. It’s been several days, and he hasn’t asked Zhou Gongzi to move to other palaces… This level of favoritism has never been seen in the history of Dajing.”

 

Xie Zhengqing:…

 

As he watched the procession of supposedly favored “concubines” who were said to fit the Emperor’s taste and were approved by Xiao Li Gonggong, and thought about the recent unparalleled fame of “Zhou Gongzi”…

 

Xie Zhengqing:…

 

He, who had originally planned to confront Zhou Xun face-to-face, was now trembling slightly.

 

If this was the Emperor’s reaction to a new favorite, then Zhou Gongzi… what kind of terrifying person was he?