After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 68

Sleeping in the side hall, Zhou Xun was completely unaware that a scheme based on dissolution and extraction was about to fall upon him.

Early the next morning, Zhou Xun woke up.

He dressed himself as usual and let the servants assist him. Zhou Xun felt somewhat uncomfortable. Firstly, he was perfectly capable of doing it himself—after all, he had hands; secondly, he actually didn’t like physical contact with others. The sensation of being close to someone always felt odd to him.

As a child, he had been very attached to his mother’s hugs, but as he grew older and went through years of hardships, he had become unaccustomed to close physical contact.

Ningmeng and Lianrong had nothing to do and had to clean things outside. When Zhou Xun came out, he saw that the two young maids looked somewhat helpless and were afraid of offending him. He softened his expression and explained, “It’s not your fault; I have a bit of a cleanliness obsession and don’t like being too close to others…”

“Young Master Zhou, the Emperor is waiting for you in the dining area,” Xiao Li said, waving his whisk as he entered. He glanced at the two maids and added, “How are the new servants working out?”

Zhou Xun smiled and said, “They are all quite understanding.”

The two maids followed him to the dining area. Being newcomers, they adhered to Zhou Xun’s instructions and stood behind him, not daring to move an inch.

…Until.

They watched as the Emperor served Zhou Xun one dish after another.

Maids: ??

Then they watched as Zhou Xun ate the food that had been served to him.

…And afterward, he was taken by the Emperor onto the carriage heading out of the palace.

The two were heading to the residence of the Jiang Wei, a group of thirteen residences. Besides the office, various personnel also lived in these residences, while Zhang Lingsu was staying in an inn not far from the headquarters.

“Logically, after running around the capital all day yesterday, you should get some proper rest,” the Emperor suddenly said on the road, “but I feel like you’d want to meet that young lady.”

Zhou Xun: ?

He turned his head and noticed that today, while sitting with him, the Emperor maintained a somewhat strange distance. This distance made his mood feel strangely peculiar.

“Why does Your Majesty think… I want to meet her?” Zhou Xun asked softly.

Zhou Xun knew he did want to see her, but he was also curious about the Emperor’s answer.

“Well…” The Emperor chuckled, “Because she survived because of you.”

In the distance, they could see the Jiang Wei’s headquarters through the carriage window. The Emperor said to Zhou Xun, “This is your first time here, right?”

His tone carried an eager excitement. Zhou Xun was about to respond when the Emperor said, “Coincidentally, it’s my first time too.”

Zhou Xun: …

“I’m not coming here for the first time.” Zhou Xun looked at the somewhat familiar buildings in front of him and preferred not to discuss it further. “I was here before, in the Zhaoyuan(prison).”

The Emperor: ?!

He quickly remembered his first meeting with Zhou Xun and couldn’t help but awkwardly touch his nose. “Oh, I almost forgot…”

Zhou Xun smiled and said nothing. The Emperor then cautiously asked, “How do you feel now? No psychological trauma, right?”

“No,” Zhou Xun shook his head, “I didn’t suffer any mistreatment in there.”

He was speaking the truth. After being taken from the palace, he hadn’t suffered any mistreatment while in the Zhaoyuan.

Firstly, his confession was very straightforward; from the crime facts to the reasons, he admitted everything clearly, and the Jiang Wei had no reason to torture him. Secondly, his connections were complex, involving influential figures close to the Emperor and… the Fifth Prince, making it difficult for even the ruthless Jiang Wei to act rashly.

Of course, the damp and cold conditions in the prison were another matter, which couldn’t be changed because of his good attitude.

The Emperor then sighed in relief and optimistically said, “That’s good, you’re effectively recovering from past hardships…”

Zhou Xun glanced at him, and the Emperor touched his nose and fell silent.

…It seemed the Emperor also realized he had misspoken.

The Emperor’s strong reaction didn’t bother Zhou Xun. He proactively patted the back of the Emperor’s hand and said, “It’s all in the past now.”

—All in the past.

“Hmm… How’s that scar of yours, fading away?”

Zhou Xun: ?

He looked at his arm, which had been used to pat the Emperor’s hand. The burn marks had indeed faded significantly after using the ointment the Emperor’s people had sent over.

He nodded.

“Even old scars will fade,” Zhou Xun said as he noticed the Emperor looking up, seemingly wanting to carefully examine him from head to toe.

The Emperor looked at him for a while and suddenly smiled somewhat dazedly.

“Ah, I just remembered how you looked when we first met. You really are different from back then,” the Emperor said.

Zhou Xun was startled.

He recalled the first time he met the Emperor, when he had just been taken from the Zhaoyuan and was brought into the palace with his head covered. At that time, he was uncertain about his future, covered in blood and dust, filled with cold despair and hatred.

—That was the worst moment of his life.

And now, even the old scars on his arm had faded.

“Now I…” “Now you…”

Both spoke similar phrases at the same time, and Zhou Xun closed his mouth, signaling the Emperor to speak first.

The Emperor smiled and then…

“You’re doing quite well now.”

Zhou Xun: …

The Emperor looked at him, seemingly both pleased and nostalgic. “You won’t try to assassinate me again, will you? But…”

He suddenly seemed to remember something and grew anxious. “Wait a minute, if you’ve overcome your emotional tribulations… will you go back to how you were before? Will you return to your old self?”

Zhou Xun: … What on earth are you talking about?

Before he could respond to the Emperor’s peculiar and slightly panicked question, the carriage stopped.

Upon the Emperor’s arrival, half of the Jiang Wei’s personnel came out to greet them—those who didn’t come out were either busy with cases or patrolling the city. Jiang Wei’s Chief Commander, Shangguan Tai, led a group of attendants in deep red robes and greeted the two. The group was all slender and tall, making for a pleasing sight.

The Emperor chatted with Shangguan Tai for a while and then said to Zhou Xun, “Let’s first visit Miss Zhang, and then we’ll come over here to tour the headquarters.”

Zhou Xun nodded.

He noticed that most of the Jiang Wei personnel kept their heads down and avoided looking at him. The matter of his assassination attempt on the Emperor was a secret, known only to a few even during his interrogation in the Zhaoyuan. Among the Jiang Wei personnel, there were a few he recognized, but they, as the court’s watchdogs, maintained a very cautious attitude toward Zhou Xun’s identity changes—never looking too closely or asking too many questions.

Deputy Commander Lu led them to the inn where Miss Zhang was staying. The inn was right next to the headquarters and had always relied on its proximity to the Jiang Wei for business, so safety was not a concern. As they entered, a small Jiang Wei attendant reported to Lu Xiandao, “Master, Miss Zhang has been waiting in the hall since early this morning.”

The small Jiang Wei attendant always had a smiling face, and Zhou Xun knew this person was likely Lu Xiandao’s most trusted deputy. Lu Xiandao nodded and reported to the Emperor according to protocol, then they headed to the conversation hall.

As Zhou Xun entered the hall, he saw a young woman in green standing nervously. She looked delicate and petite, with a touch of stubbornness in her demeanor. Seeing them arrive, she quickly knelt and performed a deep bow, “I am Zhang Lingsu, greetings to Your Majesty!”

Her voice trembled, as if she were overly excited. The Emperor said, “Please rise; let’s sit down and talk.”

“Certainly!”

They sat down, and Lu Xiandao’s smiling Jiang Wei attendant briefly introduced the guests to her. When introducing Zhou Xun, he said to Zhang Lingsu, “This is Young Master Zhou, who works beside the Emperor. He was the one who brought you to the Emperor’s attention, prompting His Majesty to send Master Lu to check on your situation.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lingsu’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

“The Master’s kindness is unforgettable,” she said earnestly, looking at Zhou Xun. “Such great kindness cannot be expressed in words. I have some knowledge of medicine, and if there’s any way I can be of service, I will repay it with utmost dedication!”

She spoke with genuine sincerity.

“Speaking of medicine, did you complete the prescription for the epidemic in Xizhou?” the Emperor asked.

Zhang Lingsu then took out the prescriptions she had been keeping hidden in her book, not daring to let them out of her sight for a moment. “Indeed, this prescription…”

She explained the background of the prescription clearly, from the death of Zhang Taiyi to her own extensive study of medical texts from childhood. She continued, “My grandfather used to write daily journals and send letters home while in Xizhou. I learned medicine from him throughout my life. Please, Your Majesty… give me a chance. This prescription… will definitely cure the epidemic!”

The Emperor looked at the formula for a long time, scratching his head. “This, I can’t understand either.”

Zhang Lingsu’s eyes immediately showed disappointment. She hurriedly said, “I can guarantee with my life that this formula was mostly completed by my grandfather. I just perfected the final few ingredients. My grandfather practiced medicine for decades; the formulas he wrote are never wrong. He was definitely not a quack! I… or, please give me a chance to go to Xizhou! Once there, I will definitely…”

She was still young and impetuous, even making such a dramatic statement as guaranteeing with her life. The two Jiang Wei guards beside her sighed slightly, thinking that although Miss Zhang’s medical skills were good, her youth and lack of worldly experience might affect her performance. The Emperor might view her as too impatient, which could undermine the impression of the formula.

Indeed, who would believe that such a young girl could write a formula for treating an epidemic?

The Emperor appeared somewhat hesitant and looked at Zhou Xun.

“It would be better to have some professionals review it,” Zhou Xun suggested.

The Emperor nodded and instructed the attendant beside him, “Go find Imperial Physician He.”

The attendant complied.

“Miss Zhang.” As Zhang Lingsu was still feeling regret over her performance, a voice reached her ear.

She looked up to see the gentle-looking young man beside the Emperor speaking to her.

Author’s Note: Later, the Emperor woke up to find a book lying in bed.

Emperor: !! Wifey!! Wifey, how did you change back?!

Zhou Xun, who had just returned early in the morning: ?