After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 30

A peculiar rice?

 

Eunuch Zhang’s initial reaction was that the emperor was joking.

 

Eunuch Zhang had been serving in the Imperial Household Department since the age of seven, under the tutelage of his master. He had also served the late emperor’s consorts. The late emperor’s consorts were different from the current emperor’s group of “consorts”; they were extravagant and had varied preferences.

 

Whether it was calligraphy, red coral from the South Sea, or pearls from the West… Eunuch Zhang had seen consorts who liked all sorts of things. There were also many consorts who liked flowers and plants, such as the late emperor’s favorite, Consort Lan, who particularly favored ghost orchids that grew in the mountains. Eunuch Zhang had even personally arranged for a ghost orchid to be brought to the palace for Consort Lan!

 

But… flowers and plants were one thing, how could anyone like the common rice found everywhere in the world?

 

Young Master Zhou’s aesthetic sense was truly extraordinary!

 

“Your Majesty…” Eunuch Zhang wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled, “Your Majesty wishes to find rice? What… what… what kind of rice is this, that is so special?”

 

“The ones I want you to find, there are two… no, three kinds of rice.” The emperor calculated and said, “The first kind of rice is in Vietnam…”

 

“Vietnam?” Eunuch Zhang looked puzzled.

 

The emperor was also momentarily stunned. He took out paper and pen and made some gestures. It was then that Eunuch Zhang suddenly realized, “Oh… you mean Champa. But Champa is just a small country of few people, are the rice there really that precious?”

 

The emperor smiled but didn’t say anything. Eunuch Zhang bowed and asked, “Your Majesty, where are the other two kinds of rice?”

 

“One is a kind of male-sterile rice, and the other…”

 

The emperor gave some explanations, but Eunuch Zhang felt his head was spinning. After thinking for a moment, the emperor continued, “Just go and find the rice according to the descriptions.”

 

Eunuch Zhang nodded repeatedly and asked, “Your servant will set off immediately. May I ask, Your Majesty, when do you need this rice?”

 

“The rice from Champa is easier to find, perhaps within a year.”

 

A whole year, that wasn’t too tight! Eunuch Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and was pondering when the emperor added, “But the other two kinds of rice will be much harder to find…”

 

Eunuch Zhang quickly expressed his loyalty, “Your servant will do his utmost!”

 

Seeing his loyalty, the emperor was pleased. He continued, “It might take about ten years to find them, but if you take twenty years, that’s fine too. Anyway, just find them if you can.”

 

Eunuch Zhang:…

 

Seeing his almost cracking expression, the emperor scratched his head and said, “Is it still too difficult? Then… twenty-five years?”

 

Eunuch Zhang:…

 

Twenty-five years! Was the emperor planning to exile him to the borderlands?!

 

“No, Your Majesty,” he forced a smile, “twenty-five years, the time is indeed a bit too long…”

 

“You’re so proactive and dedicated, which is a good thing.” The emperor was even more pleased to see him willingly accept the long timeframe and even started to encourage him, “But before you do anything, you should assess your own abilities. It’s fine, twenty-five years! If you can find it within twenty-five years, I will reward you generously!”

 

Eunuch Zhang:…

 

He seemed to be smiling through tears.

 

Zhou Xun watched the splendid interaction between the emperor and Eunuch Zhang, and cleared his throat. The emperor immediately looked over, concerned, and asked, “What’s wrong? Did you catch a cold?”

 

Eunuch Zhang, His Highness’s attendant: ?

 

Caught a cold? Shouldn’t it be catching a chill? He couldn’t help but find the emperor’s choice of words strangely peculiar.

 

Zhou Xun whispered a few words in the emperor’s ear. The emperor suddenly seemed to understand and said, “If there are any obedient inmates in the labor camps in various regions, let them search in the fields every year. If they can find the rice I described, not only will their crimes be pardoned, but they will also be appointed as…”

 

He paused for a moment, then decisively proclaimed, “Rice Sage!”

 

“And for you, there will be generous rewards!”

 

“Your servant…” Eunuch Zhang couldn’t help but shed tears as the emperor spoke, “Your servant will do his utmost!”

 

The emperor chuckled, “Don’t get emotional. You may leave now, your tears are starting to flow.”

 

Eunuch Zhang tried to hold back his tears and simply replied, “Yes.”

 

As Eunuch Zhang left, the emperor immediately turned to Zhou Xun, anxiously asking, “Are you feeling unwell?” Zhou Xun shook his head. The emperor then sighed in relief, saying, “Oh, good, Xiao Li!”

 

Xiao Li rushed over from the side of His Highness, and the emperor instructed him, “Bring a cup of hot water for the gentleman.”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

“Drink more hot water,” the emperor said with a toothy grin.

 

As Zhou Xun sipped the hot water, he noticed the emperor hesitating to speak beside him. He whispered softly, “Does Your Majesty have something to say?”

 

The emperor, somewhat embarrassed, rubbed his nose. “How did you figure it out again? Master Zhou, you’re truly insightful. Actually…”

 

“It’s about your position,” he said.

 

Zhou Xun was taken aback. The emperor scratched his head, “Actually, I hadn’t thought about this before, until Minister Xie brought it up. If it weren’t for him, I… Master.”

 

He looked at him carefully, “You haven’t suffered any grievances in the palace, have you?”

 

He asked if he had suffered grievances?

 

That person who was always laid-back, always carefree, always cheerful…

 

Actually…

 

Zhou Xun felt a bitter taste in his heart for a moment, and it took him a while to respond, “How could Your Majesty think that I’ve suffered grievances?”

 

“People in the palace always think that you’re my favorite. Although you don’t say it, I know you don’t like it, right?” Before Zhou Xun could respond, the emperor continued, “I’m a carefree person, but you’re different. You’re so proud and intelligent, you must not like this…”

 

There was someone who, despite being laid-back, didn’t care much about many things concerning himself, but wanted to protect the delicate pride of another.

 

“Rumors are for the wise to dismiss,” Zhou Xun said after a while, “I won’t pay attention to other people’s words.”

 

If he were to pay attention to every trivial word, he would not have lived to this day.

 

“But I don’t want them to speak ill of you,” the emperor looked at him earnestly, “I want them to know that you are an honorable person, I want them to know that you are good. I am the emperor, they will flatter me. But I don’t want them to think you’re good just because of my… uh, favoritism? I want them to know you, to know…”

 

This sentence fell like petals from a spring tree, drifting in the air, eventually landing on the water.

 

Creating a ripple.

 

The emperor’s words were not adorned with grandiloquence, nor did they contain any profound aphorisms.

 

But Zhou Xun understood something from the reflection in his eyes.

 

— He understood the intention the emperor had at this moment, perhaps even the emperor himself hadn’t fully grasped it.

 

— He believed that he could have a future.

 

— A future where he could walk openly in the sunlight.

 

He had grown accustomed to the harshness of the world, to the ice and snow, and thus became indifferent to this world. Yet, he wanted to live like others, with softness, joy, happiness, and…

 

Dignity.

 

“…Thank you.”

 

To this intention, he could only respond with these three words in the end.

 

Not because of reticence, not because of anything else, but because any words seemed too pale in comparison to this sentiment.

 

“Good!” the emperor exclaimed happily, “But it might be a bit embarrassing to directly let you leave the palace and establish your own residence. Let me think, we’ll need to find a reason to explain it to the public… Before that, would you mind staying in the palace for the time being?”

 

Zhou Xun smiled and nodded.

 

As Eunuch Zhang returned to the Imperial Household Department, his heart was filled with worries. He looked at the palace in the twilight, then glanced back at the palace, as if he were looking back at his own life.

 

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. Inside the Imperial Household Department, the other eunuchs were still busy managing supplies.

 

“The sandbag in Lady Li’s courtyard broke again? This is the third time this month!”

 

“Steward, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry.” A little eunuch who was running errands nodded and bowed, slipping a handful of silver into the steward’s hand. “This…”

 

The steward snorted, his expression slightly softened, but he still frowned and said, “Go get it yourself from the storage room! Next!”

 

“Musician Lin’s strings… go get them, next!”

 

“The flowers in the garden by the side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation have withered? What should we plant…” The steward paused for a moment, then turned to the little eunuchs, “Do any of you know what flowers Master Zhou likes?”

 

The busy little eunuchs shook their heads in confusion. One of them said, “We really don’t know what flowers Master Zhou likes, he never shows any particular preferences. How about… planting some orchids?”

 

The steward nodded, about to approve, when Eunuch Zhang, who had been feeling discouraged, came out.

 

“Oh, Eunuch Zhang.” The steward, familiar with him, greeted him, “Going out to search for treasures again? What did His Majesty ask you to find this time?”

 

Eunuch Zhang turned to look at him, smiling wryly, “You’ll never guess.”

 

“Huh?” The steward took a deep breath, “Why are you being so mysterious? What is it?”

 

“Rice.”

 

“Rice?”

 

The group of little eunuchs looked at each other in confusion. One brave little eunuch asked, “Eunuch Zhang, why are you searching for rice?”

 

Eunuch Zhang shook his head with a bitter smile, “It’s something Master Zhou likes.”

 

With Eunuch Zhang’s departure, the little eunuchs remained bewildered. One of them said, “Master Zhou likes rice? This…”

 

Meanwhile, in Qingzhou.

 

Bai Yuxing lay on a pile of straw in the cell, with a piece of straw in his mouth, sighing.

 

“Back in the palace for the third time, kid.” The jailer squatted beside the cell, grinning. To him, Bai Yuxing, who had been imprisoned three times, was a familiar face. “Couldn’t you have stolen from someone else’s house? Did you have to steal from the Marquis’s house? You’ve really landed yourself in it this time, huh?”

 

Bai Yuxing lazily shook the straw in his mouth, not bothering to respond.

 

“It’s also your bad luck to encounter Prefect Dai’s strictness. This time, you won’t be out for at least three to five decades.” The jailer continued to mock him, finding it amusing to tease Bai Yuxing, who had a baby face. “You…”

 

Before he could finish, cries from both men and women came from the other side.

 

“Let me go, let me go!” A woman screamed, “What did we do wrong? It’s time for the girl to get married, we are her brother and sister-in-law, why can’t we make decisions for her marriage…”

 

She was pushed into the cell and the door was locked. A young man in a crimson uniform, without even looking at her, said to the jailers, “Throw the man into the cell over there.”

 

“You!” Another man with a sharp nose and monkey cheeks struggled. Even after being pushed into the cell, he struggled to get up and shouted angrily outside, “She belongs to our Zhang family, it should be our Zhang family making decisions! You, an outsider, have no right to interfere in the affairs of the Zhang family! I bet you and that little slut have a thing going on, you adulterer…”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, his face was grabbed by a hand.

 

The hand was slender but strong as if it were made of iron clamps. The man’s face contorted as he was grabbed, unable to speak a word.

 

“The Zhang family?” The person sneered.

 

“In the Zhang family, we follow the Zhang family’s rules. Wherever the Vermilion Guard goes, we follow the Vermilion Guard’s rules.” The young man kicked the man, who sprayed blood from his mouth and fell onto the straw.

 

The young man wiped his hands and casually said to the nearby jailers, “This man’s mouth is too dirty, pull out his tongue.”