After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 42

Zhou Xun sat on the sofa, slipping off his shoes and socks from the other foot as well. He bent his knees, keeping his feet off the ground, and carefully avoided touching his toes to the floor. His hands brushed over his ankles.

 

“Your Majesty, the shoes and socks for Master Zhou have been replaced,” Green Medicine entered the room carrying a tray, “The handkerchief is also here, you…”

 

She held the tray, which carried brand new socks and shoes. Behind her, another palace maid held a handkerchief.

 

“Alright,” the Emperor casually took the handkerchief from her hand, “You wipe it first to prevent catching a cold…”

 

Emperor: …

 

Zhou Xun: ?!!

 

“Your Majesty, you…”

 

Zhou Xun stared wide-eyed as the Emperor extended his hand towards him, greatly startled. Just as he was about to pull his foot back, the Emperor grabbed his ankle.

 

With just one hand, he held him securely. His slender and long ankle was held firmly in his palm.

 

Zhou Xun was caught off guard and lowered his head. He sat while the Emperor crouched in front of him. His hands gripped the arms of the sofa, and his shoulders shook slightly. “You…”

 

When the Emperor saw him looking over, he smiled brightly at him.

 

“It’s alright, I’m just helping you,” he said cheerfully, “It’s just a small effort.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

Being held by the ankle, he felt extremely uncomfortable for a moment. “I can do it myself…”

 

Saying that, without waiting for the Emperor’s reply, he snatched the handkerchief from his hand.

 

Emperor: “Eh? Eh?”

 

He scratched his head awkwardly, “Oh… alright.”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

Zhou Xun took the handkerchief but hesitated to act. The Emperor asked him, “What’s wrong?”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

“The Emperor’s hand, still…”

 

Emperor: …

 

“Oh, oh, I just didn’t think about it,” the Emperor said, releasing his fingers. At the moment he let go, Zhou Xun withdrew his ankle from his palm, “Actually, it’s more convenient for me to help you. I see you have long legs, bending over is…”

 

At that moment, something brushed against his palm, like a feather, scratching in his palm.

 

It was the protruding bone from Zhou Xun’s ankle.

 

Emperor: …

 

At that moment, the Emperor suddenly seemed like he had been muted, unable to say anything.

 

Next to him, Little Dengzi, who had come in with Green Medicine and should have been leading this activity: …

 

He looked at the two people in the room and inexplicably felt a sense of “I should be under the car, not here.”

 

Zhou Xun lowered his eyes and changed into the new socks and shoes. He felt strange in his heart, didn’t dare, and felt that he shouldn’t think too much, so he didn’t think about anything.

 

He looked up, about to speak to the Emperor. But at that moment, the Emperor, who had been awkwardly crouching in front of him…

 

He suddenly flipped backwards!!

 

Zhou Xun: ??

 

He watched in amazement as the Emperor flipped over backwards and fell to the ground.

 

Zhou Xun: ?? Did I unintentionally develop some kind of eye-wind technique that kills people?!

 

“Uh… uh…” The Emperor rubbed the back of his head. Seeing this, Green Medicine and Little Dengzi hurriedly helped him up, “I’m fine, I’m fine!”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

Somehow, from then on, whenever the Emperor spoke to him, he didn’t dare to look him in the eye again: “Actually, I’ve been thinking about what position to give you, such as…”

 

“Your Majesty,” Zhou Xun said, “I want… to participate in next year’s Spring Examinations.”

 

The Emperor sitting back on his chair next to him: ?!

 

“What do you want to do in the Spring Examinations? If you want to be an official, just tell me.” The Emperor looked puzzled, “That Spring Examinations, people are locked in small rooms, not eating for days and nights, and can’t bathe. Don’t go and join that hustle and bustle.”

 

Zhou Xun remained silent. He continued, “Are you afraid that others will think you’re an air-dropped official, illegitimate?”

 

As he said this, he wanted to reach out and pat his shoulder, but when Zhou Xun looked at him, he froze.

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

The Emperor lightly tapped the other’s shoulder twice with his fingers. “But such a thing would never happen. As an official appointed by the Emperor, who would dare say anything to you? Besides, hasn’t it always been the case throughout history that emperors eagerly seek talents and directly appoint officials when encountering talents in the mountains? If you’re really concerned, I can tell them that I met you in a teahouse, found you to be insightful, and then bestowed upon you military strategies and such. By then…”

 

The Emperor misunderstood his intentions. Zhou Xun smiled helplessly, “That’s not what I meant.”

 

“I don’t want to obtain an official position solely through Your Majesty’s favor. I want to prove myself through the Spring Examinations, in the fairest manner possible—to demonstrate my abilities, my knowledge, and earn the respect and recognition of the people. This is the path I originally intended to take.”

 

—Never having fully participated in the Spring Examinations had always been his regret.

 

“But… isn’t this a bit roundabout?” the Emperor muttered.

 

“Three years have passed, but it’s never too late,” Zhou Xun smiled, “I may have taken a detour, but fortunately, I can still return.”

 

Mountains and rivers obstructed with no path in sight, then suddenly clear again, revealing another village.

 

Now, after taking a slight detour, he had finally returned to the path he initially wanted to take.

 

The sound of rain outside the window lessened. The summer downpour gradually subsided.

 

Zhou Xun saw the Emperor smile brightly at him.

 

“Ah, you ancient literati, full of ambition,” the Emperor said resignedly, “Alright, alright, if you want to take the exam, then go ahead.”

 

He said this as if he were quite resigned. Zhou Xun chuckled, “Is ambition a bad thing?”

 

“People with ambition live a more exhausting life than others,” the Emperor scratched his head, “But then again, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”

 

The clouds that had gathered in the Forbidden City’s sky dispersed, the dark clouds drifted away, and sunlight filtered through the window, illuminating the Imperial Study. Zhou Xun’s profile bathed in this golden light, he smiled contentedly and with clarity.

 

He had taken a slight detour, but now, he had finally returned.

 

Fate had taken away two years of his time, but finally, in the third year, it returned all his freedom and dreams.

 

“But I must declare, if you’re going to take the exam, I absolutely won’t let you take any shortcuts!” the Emperor patted his hand.

 

“Naturally,” Zhou Xun said, “Your Majesty must be fair and just.”

 

The Emperor nodded solemnly, “Of course, otherwise…”

 

“Otherwise, how would you know that you are so good, upright, and fair?”

 

Without any means, without any twists and turns, he wanted everyone to know that he had walked back to reclaim everything that belonged to him in a straightforward and upright manner, not by theft, not by favoritism, but by reclaiming.

 

Everything he had lost, he would reclaim them one by one. All the dignity he had lost, he would gradually rebuild them.

 

Not dealing with hypocrisy, not entangling with darkness, starting step by step from the most upright and righteous path, walking amidst the gazes and envy of everyone.

 

—The world had once kissed him with pain, and this would be his repayment.

 

“So from today onwards, we are good study buddies!” the Emperor reached out to fist bump him, “I’ll have Xiao Li move a table into the Imperial Study later, you’ll sit on that end, and I’ll sit on this end. We’ll study quietly together, without disturbing each other…”

 

As he was speaking, Xiao Li hurriedly entered from outside the door. Seeing Zhou Xun there too, he hesitated, eventually whispering a few words into the Emperor’s ear.

 

The Emperor’s face darkened after hearing just a few words, “Do you not know that I’m busy here? You come to me for such trivial matters?”

 

Xiao Li quickly apologized, “Yes,” then went out to report back. As he left the Imperial Study, he stole a glance at Zhou Xun, who caught his gaze and suspected this matter might be related to him.

 

Come to think of it, he hadn’t heard any news from the Zhou family for a long time… Well, they were just a bunch of irrelevant people. However, he was also curious about how they were doing now.

 

The fire of hatred in his heart that once wanted to burn them down had faded with the Emperor’s arrival, and his busy daily routine recently hadn’t left him time to dwell on the past, but Zhou Xun was never a “forgiving” person. Repay kindness with kindness? Repay enmity with justice.

 

He hadn’t forgotten what the Zhou family had done to him. He kept a tally in his heart, and he would never tolerate his enemies living comfortably in this world, he would settle this score, one by one.

 

Soon after.

 

“So, I’ll take my leave now,” Zhou Xun bowed.

 

“Huh? Leaving so soon?” The Emperor seemed disappointed. “Why not stay a bit longer…”

 

“In less than half an incense stick’s time, Your Majesty asked me ten questions,” Zhou Xun rose calmly. “My presence here would disturb Your Majesty’s studies.”

 

The Emperor: …

 

“Alright,” he scratched his head, “By the way, I’ll have Xiao Li bring you a waist token that allows you to freely enter and exit the palace.”

 

Before Zhou Xun could ask him, the Emperor continued, “If you’re going to participate in the Spring Examinations, you’ll probably need some review books, right? Like the Five-Year Spring Examinations, Three-Year Simulations, Huanggang Secret Scrolls, Tianli’s Thirty-Eight Sets, and others. There should be bookstores in the capital that sell them. You can go choose.”

 

Zhou Xun smiled faintly, “Alright.”

 

“Hurry up and become a top scholar, enter the court,” the Emperor gave him a thumbs-up, “Then we can have a joyous reunion openly… no, it’ll be like a fish in water!”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

After messing up that idiom, the Emperor was completely “…”. His thumb was also frozen in mid-air.

 

“The Emperor’s proficiency in idioms could use some improvement,” Zhou Xun casually left this remark and exited the Imperial Study.

 

Inside the Imperial Study,

 

After petrifying for a long time, the Emperor covered his face.

 

Outside the Donghua Gate, Zhou Cai waited for a long time, not receiving any news about entering the palace gates, but Xiao Li came instead.

 

“Lord Zhou,” Xiao Li completely lacked the respect he usually showed, instead looking like he was thinking “why are you so clueless?” “This… Do I need to explain it clearly to you? His Majesty said he doesn’t want to see you, so he doesn’t want to see you.”

 

“Don’t be upset by my blunt words. I’m doing this for your own good. As for your younger brother’s matter, instead of going to His Majesty, you should try other ways. His Majesty is currently most focused on justice. Lord Zhou, you shouldn’t waste your time here. The Donghua Gate is a place for people to come and go. It’s not good to linger here with all the eunuchs and palace maids passing by.”

 

“Moreover, your younger brother did something wrong and should receive some punishment. Isn’t it said that a small punishment prevents a great one? Lord Zhou, you now have the time to run around for him every day. However… whether this matter is right or wrong, it has been decided. His Majesty’s intentions are clear, so please spare me, Lord Zhou.”

 

A month ago, Xiao Li was praising Zhou Cai without reserve, but now, the Zhou family’s fortunes had changed, and Xiao Li had changed his tune. After saying this, Xiao Li waved his sleeve and left without leaving any clouds behind. Grand Secretary Wei wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking at Zhou Cai standing in front of the Donghua Palace, feeling extremely distressed.

 

During this period, Zhou Cai had been tirelessly running around for his younger brother, exhausted. He had tried many connections but couldn’t get Zhou Xiaodi out of the prison. The Vermilion Guards were a relatively independent system compared to the court. Even if he had power, he had nowhere to use it, so this time he came to the palace again, hoping to try his luck under the guise of “presenting a painting.”

 

But the Emperor still refused to see him.

 

With no other choice, he could only think of other ways… Thinking like this, Zhou Cai gritted his teeth, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and prepared to leave.

 

At this moment, a sedan chair was being carried out of the Donghua Gate.

 

“Lord Zhou?” The guarding attendant checked the waist token and greeted the person inside the sedan chair obsequiously.