After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 47

According to the bodyguard, the set of waist tags comprised eight pieces. Made from the same material by the same craftsman, they appeared very similar except for the central pattern.

 

Yan Ruoqi’s mood swings were unusually peculiar. Since her matters were related to the Zhou family, Zhou Xun couldn’t help but ponder more.

 

The jade waist tag, the flower… He took out his own jade waist tag again.

 

On the jade waist tag, a phoenix stood gracefully and proudly, ready to take flight. Hundreds of phoenix feathers were clearly visible, soft yet full of strength. From a distance, one might not see clearly, but upon closer inspection, it was evident that the waist tag was carved with a phoenix, not any other creature.

 

As for the qilin, white tiger, flying swallow, and auspicious clouds… each of these totems had distinctive features, making it hard to mistake them for a flower.

 

Since Miss Yan recognized her savior by the jade tag, she must have looked carefully… However, the only pattern on the jade tag that resembled a flower was the peony, which belonged to the current princess, Princess Changle, the emperor’s sister.

 

Princess Changle was the late emperor’s most beloved daughter. Lively from a young age, she was known to differ from ordinary women, excelling in horse riding and archery. For the past three years, she had not been in the capital but had gone to the northern frontier with her uncle—reasons unknown. Nonetheless, Princess Changle was a woman, not a man.

 

…Thus, Zhou Xun’s vague suspicions were suppressed.

 

It seemed he truly didn’t understand the reason for Miss Yan’s melancholy. He despised Zhou Cai, but he harbored no dislike or prejudice towards Yan Ruoqi, who was soon to be Zhou Cai’s fiancée. However, if their marriage fell through, Zhou Xun would be pleased to see it happen.

 

Having another friend is always better than having another enemy. Though Zhou Xun and the Yan family were not friends, if the Yan family married into the Zhou family, their interests would align, making the Yan family naturally his adversary.

 

After all, he never intended to let the Zhou family have an easy time.

 

The bodyguard drove the carriage outside, and Zhou Xun’s calm voice came from inside the curtains, “Please drive faster—what time is it now?”

 

“It’s already the hour of the rooster (5-7 PM), we should arrive at the palace around the hour of the dog (7-9 PM),” the bodyguard replied, pondering Zhou Xun’s intent, and asked, “Young master, are you trying to make it for the evening meal at the palace?”

 

Zhou Xun smiled from inside the curtains, “I just have something to discuss with His Majesty.”

 

In the imperial city, inside the Forbidden City, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

 

“Your Majesty,” Xiao Li trembled, “shall we reheat the evening meal again?”

 

Emperor: …

 

“Your Majesty!” Xiao Li wailed, “I know you miss Young Master Zhou, but you can’t skip dinner because of it!”

 

The emperor’s eyes, sharp as an eagle’s, shot towards him.

 

Emperor: “Who the hell told you I skipped dinner because of that?”

 

Xiao Li: “Your Majesty, you’ve reheated the dishes multiple times. Even if I don’t have a perceptive heart, a blind man could see it…”

 

Emperor: …

 

The emperor gave him a cold, sinister smile, and Xiao Li immediately shut up and began to tremble.

 

After smiling at him for a while, the emperor felt his lips stiffen and discreetly withdrew his expression. He tapped the edge of the bowl with his chopsticks and said coldly, “Learned your lesson?”

 

Xiao Li: “Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

Emperor: “Oh? Let’s hear it.”

 

Xiao Li: “Next time Young Master Zhou leaves the palace before dinner, I will instruct the imperial kitchen to prepare dishes that can be reheated repeatedly without affecting their flavor.”

 

Emperor: …

 

Seeing the emperor’s face darken, Xiao Li cautiously asked, “Your Majesty?”

 

Emperor: …

 

“Damn, you’re a genius,” the emperor said through gritted teeth, giving him a sarcastic thumbs-up.

 

Xiao Li instantly beamed, “Thank you for the praise, Your Majesty!”

 

Seeing Xiao Li’s “No one understands His Majesty better than me” expression, the emperor: …

 

“Forget it,” he said irritably, waving his hand, “don’t reheat it.”

 

Xiao Li sneaked a glance at the empty seat beside him, where Zhou Xun usually sat, now vacant. The emperor picked up a piece of fish-flavored shredded pork, frowned, and changed direction.

 

Xiao Li: …

 

The emperor then picked up a large braised lion’s head. The golden, crispy exterior, coated in a savory-sweet sauce, was soft inside, filled with diced mushrooms, meat, shrimp, crab roe, and egg yolk. The emperor instinctively split it in half and then…

 

Xiao Li: …

 

The emperor glanced at the empty seat beside him, his chopsticks frozen in mid-air.

 

Emperor: “This lion’s head is damn big.”

 

He said, then picked up a piece of West Lake vinegar fish and put it in his mouth.

 

Emperor: “This vinegar fish is damn sour.”

 

Xiao Li: “Your Majesty, the sourness of this vinegar fish can’t compare to the bitterness in your heart…”

 

Emperor: …

 

The emperor stopped eating, stood up, and kicked Xiao Li in the butt, telling him to get out.

 

Xiao Li ran out, covering his butt and whimpering. Just before he left, the emperor suddenly called out to him, “Hey, Xiao Li.”

 

“I’ve sent someone to help find the sister you lost during the famine,” the emperor said, frowning. “You’re one of my people, my little brother. For family matters like this, just come to me. Why go through others?”

 

Xiao Li’s usually comical face froze.

 

“Your Majesty…”

 

“Get out,” the emperor waved him away impatiently. “And forget about the raise for tonight’s nonsense.”

 

When Zhou Xun entered the Hall of Mental Cultivation, he saw Xiao Li coming out, wiping his tear-streaked face with his sleeve. A guard, seeing Xiao Li’s pitiful state, sympathized, “Eunuch Xiao got scolded by the emperor again.”

 

Zhou Xun also noticed Xiao Li’s condition but merely smiled without comment.

 

As Zhou Xun stepped into the hall, he saw the emperor struggling with the large lion’s head meatball. Upon seeing Zhou Xun, the emperor was delighted and waved, “Come over, half of this is yours!”

 

Zhou Xun sat down and noticed the food on the table looked more haphazard than usual. He hesitated, “Your Majesty, is something wrong with the food today…”

 

The emperor, noticing his gaze, quickly said, “The stove in the imperial kitchen broke today.”

 

Zhou Xun: “Oh…”

 

He kept it in mind but didn’t mention it.

 

“By the way, I have good news for you!” The emperor cheerfully said while splitting the lion’s head meatball in half, “The great shaman in Xizhou has finally been dealt with. It was the first major success of the Crimson-Clad Envoy. The medical team we sent there has already started working and is seeing initial results.”

 

“And, Lu Xiandao sent a letter. They were delayed in Qingzhou due to continuous heavy rains but should arrive in the capital in two days.” As the emperor divided the fish, he continued, “You were right about what you suspected might happen to that young girl. When Lu Xiandao arrived, those people were about to push her into a pit of fire. She was already bound in a bridal sedan chair! Our Scarlet Guards intervened, stopped the sedan chair on the street, lifted the curtain, and rescued the girl. She’s quite spirited and wants to come to the capital to join the Imperial Medical Academy. You should meet her when she arrives!”

 

Zhou Xun paused, then smiled, “I only made a casual remark. It was nothing significant.”

 

“It’s not nothing. Your remark saved her life.”

 

The emperor casually continued dividing the fish, “And if this girl becomes a famous doctor, she could save many patients. It’s like… Damn, why is this fish so tough… the domino effect of fate…”

 

“What’s a domino?”

 

“Do-mi-no,” the emperor finally managed to split the fish, giving half to Zhou Xun, “It’s like when a butterfly flaps its wings on the west coast, and a tsunami happens on the east coast…”

 

Zhou Xun was taken aback, “That’s a remarkable theory.” 

 

“The movement of the atmosphere is chaotic and unpredictable. It’s just a hypothesis. But the idea of controlling the climate by controlling a butterfly is very tempting.” The emperor finished dividing the lion’s head meatball and fish, then started on the fish-flavored shredded pork. While dividing it, he suddenly began to complain, “Those officials have nothing better to do all day. They say that every summer there’s heavy rain and flooding in the Yellow River area, and they want me to perform sacrifices to heaven with sincerity, even insisting that I write the speech myself to show sincerity. Hah! Do deities even care about heavy rain? This is clearly the work of atmospheric currents…”

 

Atmospheric currents?

 

Given the emperor’s expertise (in celestial matters), his words were naturally accurate. Zhou Xun helplessly said, “They’re just seeking peace of mind.”

 

“And then they make me write it myself…” the emperor grumbled, “The last long essay I wrote was my fourth quarter ideological report…”

 

Zhou Xun smiled and got back to the main topic, “But speaking of butterflies, I’m not that butterfly.”

 

Emperor: “?”

 

“The person who first saved me was Your Majesty. Only after that did I have the opportunity to save another girl with a single remark,” Zhou Xun said earnestly. “It was Your Majesty who gave me that initial chance.”

 

Emperor: …

 

He scratched his head, “You… praise me so much that I feel a bit embarrassed.”

 

Zhou Xun quietly watched him and smiled.

 

—That’s why I want to make myself more useful, he said in his heart.

 

—Not as someone dependent, but as a sturdy tree. In the past, the imperial examinations were a dream to escape his former life, but now, they represent another opportunity to achieve his dreams.

 

This dream was still vague and unclear in purpose, but he had made up his mind.

 

The dishes on the table gleamed with enticing colors. The emperor was silent for a moment, then suddenly said happily, “In that case, let’s go drink and chat tonight! The lotus flowers in the Imperial Garden are blooming…”

 

Zhou Xun continued, “I was just about to mention this. I have matters to attend to outside the palace tonight and request Your Majesty’s permission to stay outside for the night.”

 

Emperor: ?!?!

 

The emperor dropped his chopsticks on the table, “What?! Why?”

 

Zhou Xun smiled, “I have an appointment outside the palace today.”

 

Emperor: …

 

“That person…” the emperor asked cautiously, “what kind of person is he?”

 

Zhou Xun thought for a moment and said, “I greatly admire his talent and knowledge.”

 

Emperor: …