After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 7

After finishing their breakfast, palace maids provided clean towels for both of them. Little Dengzi, seeing the Emperor in good spirits, boldly suggested, “Your Majesty, the weather is lovely today. Would you like to take a stroll in the Imperial Garden?”

 

The Emperor was wiping his hands and asked, “What’s in the Imperial Garden?”

 

Little Dengzi replied, “The Imperial Garden has beautiful orchids, hibiscus, and jasmine…”

 

“What’s so interesting about flowers?” The Emperor tossed the towel into the basin. “On such a fine day, of course, we should…”

 

“Go to the study to review the memorials.”

 

Eunuch: ??

 

Palace maids: ??

 

“Your Majesty’s diligent governance is truly a blessing for the people!” Little Dengzi exclaimed.

 

Sitting nearby, Zhou Xun put down his towel and listened as the eunuchs and palace maids praised the Emperor.

 

The implied meaning in Little Dengzi’s words… Was the Emperor not as diligent in the past?

 

Indeed, the reigning emperor had been renowned for his love of ornithology and botany in the past… The late Emperor had governed diligently and passed away early, leaving a prosperous dynasty. The current Emperor, on the other hand, might have become lax as a result…

 

Had the Emperor become more diligent because of something he realized after the assassination attempt?

 

Zhou Xun’s fingers subtly pinched the teacup.

 

“Time waits for no one,” the Emperor stood up from his chair, “Let’s go, by the way…”

 

He suddenly turned to look at Zhou Xun, “Would you like to come with me, Teacher?”

 

Zhou Xun was stunned, “…?”

 

He wanted to say, “I dare not,” but suddenly realized that he…

 

Didn’t know how to address himself appropriately.

 

“Don’t be so hesitant,” the Emperor seemed to have figured out his thoughts effortlessly, patting his shoulder directly, “We’ve slept together, eaten together, and even worn the same clothes. We’re good buddies and friends now. Buddy, let’s go. I trust you.”

 

“…Friends?”{peng you}

 

These two weighty words, both strange and light, rolled around in his mind.

 

…Friends who have slept together?

 

“Get out more, soak up some sunlight, or you might get moldy.” The Emperor extended his hand as if to hold Zhou Xun’s, saying, “Come on, let’s go to the study, and besides…”

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

“When you’re by my side while reviewing the memorials, it will be as easy as an open-book exam!” The Emperor gave him a thumbs-up, leaving Zhou Xun baffled.

 

Where did the Emperor’s inexplicable confidence in him come from?

 

Little Dengzi was about to invite the Emperor into the carriage, but the Emperor waved his hand, saying, “Why take a carriage? No need, let’s take a walk to get some exercise!”

 

Zhou Xun had entered the Yangxin Palace when it was the darkest hour of the night and left in broad daylight. It was summer in the palace, with a clear sky and fresh air. He stood in the shade, squinting his eyes in the unusually bright sunlight.

 

Having spent a long time locked in a cell, he hadn’t seen sunlight in a while.

 

Outside the hall, Little Dengzi had already prepared a sedan chair, but the Emperor rubbed his chin, inspecting the wooden wheels and muttering, “These wooden wheels look uncomfortable. I should find a way to use some natural rubber…”

 

While Zhou Xun was standing here amidst the hustle and bustle, he lowered his head to gaze at his shoes still in the shadows.

 

He took a step toward the sunlight and raised his head. However, he noticed that the Emperor was staring at him with a blank expression.

 

What’s wrong?

 

Zhou Xun looked at him.

 

“Nothing, I just thought that you looked…” The Emperor stuttered slightly, “very handsome when you stepped into that beam of light just now.”

 

Seeing Zhou Xun’s silence, he added, “You looked really handsome when you walked into the sunlight.”

 

…

 

The Emperor led Zhou Xun into the study. He sat on the dragon chair that Little Dengzi had prepared and instructed him to bring another chair.

 

“Get a few more cushions,” he added.

 

Little Dengzi went to fetch more cushions. Zhou Xun stood by, suddenly saying, “We don’t need so…”

 

The Emperor interrupted, “No, I can’t have you unable to see the memorials because you’re a head shorter than me. Let’s use a few more cushions.”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

The Emperor always left him speechless.

 

A few eunuchs, under Little Dengzi’s guidance, brought in a luxurious sofa for Zhou Xun. He sat on the luxurious sofa, and the Emperor pointed to the incense burner, asking, “What kind of incense do you like?”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

The Emperor continued, “Sandalwood? Agarwood? Magnolia? Dragon’s blood?”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

“I don’t have any particular preferences,” Zhou Xun replied.

 

“Oh,” the Emperor nodded and said to Little Dengzi, “Then just light them all.”

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

“Emperor, this…” Little Dengzi began, but the Emperor interrupted.

 

“Magnolia,” Zhou Xun replied.

 

“Then magnolia it is,” the Emperor nodded.

 

The two of them sat quietly in the scent of magnolia. Zhou Xun felt a bit out of place, but the Emperor said, “You sitting there is motivating for me.”

 

Zhou Xun had never seen the Emperor review memorials in such a peculiar way, nor had he seen such a cluttered desk. The desk was not only piled high with memorials but also contained numerous reference materials, mostly maps from various regions and economic and military reports dating back to the previous Emperor’s reign. In addition to these, there was a stack of blank papers on the other side of the desk. The Emperor held a charcoal pen and, as he opened each memorial, scribbled and calculated something on them.

 

Zhou Xun watched silently.

 

After reviewing several memorials, the Emperor suddenly picked up one and angrily exclaimed, “What nonsense is this accounting report? Do they think I can’t do math? Cut it in half, all of it!”

 

With that, he took a charcoal pen and drew a turtle at the end of the memorial.

 

The next memorial took him a long time to read. “Establishing a medical clinic is a good thing, increase the budget,” he said.

 

Zhou Xun noticed that for memorials related to accounts, construction, and similar categories, the Emperor approved quickly. He drew a small flower for the well-done ones and a turtle for the poorly done ones. Surprisingly, when he came across a war chariot design provided by the Ministry of War, he furrowed his brow and took a long time to examine it, making some structural adjustments with his pen.

 

On the other hand, memorials filled with classical Chinese and policy discussions seemed to irritate him. He banged his head on the table several times.

 

Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, he turned to Zhou Xun and said, “Sir, can you take a look at this one for me?”

 

Zhou Xun was taken aback. “Me?”

 

“Oh, come on, come on,” the Emperor insisted, confidently handing the memorial to Zhou Xun. “You’ll definitely do well. Who are you to push back on me? Don’t be shy.”

 

Seeing the Emperor’s eager expression, Zhou Xun pursed his lips but didn’t resist. He accepted the memorial.

 

He picked up the first one.

 

“This is from Scholar Sima, a native of Suzhou. His family background is not prominent, and he supports the New Policies. He is known for his integrity but often disliked by his colleagues for his radical and overly progressive views, which puts him at odds with Scholar Shen and others.”

 

Zhou Xun calmly recounted the background of the author of the memorial, remaining objective and impartial, with no personal bias.

 

In his two years in the Wang residence, apart from the first year filled with escape and suicide, the second year was dominated by calm planning and revenge.

 

This naturally included his understanding of external circumstances. Besides, even when he was in Jiangzhou, the Confucian scholars who were banished from the capital would often discuss events in the capital with him.

 

However, at that time, he had never expected that these pieces of information would come in handy in…

 

The Imperial Study.

 

“Thank you, Sir. You’re really incredible. It’s much clearer now,” the Emperor nodded appreciatively and sighed, “You truly live up to being a language and literature teacher…”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

Why was the Emperor calling him “Sir” again?

 

Zhou Xun proceeded to translate the words on the memorials into plain language that was easy to understand. Scholar Sima was known for his eloquence, and the Emperor couldn’t comprehend his memorials, which was quite understandable.

 

Zhou Xun’s voice was clear and cool, with a hint of a crystalline quality. He dissected each sentence, unveiling the hidden meanings within the text, unraveling past events, and presenting it all in an easily comprehensible manner.

 

After finishing the translation of one memorial, he handed it to the Emperor. The Emperor stared at him in a daze and suddenly said, “Would you help me review it?”

 

Zhou Xun replied, “My handwriting is different from yours, Your Majesty.”

 

The Emperor suggested, “Oh, then how about I dictate, and you write?”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

The Emperor chuckled, saying, “With the ‘I dictate, you write’ approach, the handwriting will be yours, so there’s nothing to be surprised about.”

 

Zhou Xun “reviewed” the memorial for the Emperor. Then, he patiently “reviewed” several more. The Emperor exclaimed, “You truly are something, speaking so brilliantly. You’ve far exceeded my expectations!”

 

Zhou Xun remained silent. The Emperor continued, “Hehe, I never knew studying could be so enjoyable. It’s like having a tutor by my side when I study; it’s so much fun.”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

Where did this “tutor” term come from? Was it the Emperor’s way of addressing him?

 

He kept his head down and continued translating, but his cheeks were slightly flushed.

 

After finishing the stack of memorials in his hands, the Emperor suddenly handed him all the remaining ones, saying, “Could you look at these too?”

 

Zhou Xun was taken aback by the favor and hesitated, “It’s not appropriate, Your Majesty.”

 

The Emperor responded, “You’ll definitely do a better job than me. I really can’t read these Classical Chinese texts. I’ve disliked reading Classical Chinese since high school; it feels exhausting and you can’t skip it.”

 

Zhou Xun said, “Your Majesty is the ruler of a nation, and these memorials should be reviewed by you.”

 

The Emperor rubbed his head with a somewhat forlorn expression, “But I truly can’t understand them.”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

“Understanding things only comes through study,” Zhou Xun patiently advised him. “Regardless of the size of the task, without determination, you’ll never get anything done.”

 

After saying this, he suddenly felt like… this wasn’t exactly the advice of a minister to his emperor; it sounded more like some kind of personal advice…

 

The Emperor looked ashamed, he scratched his head and nodded firmly, “Sir is right. Sir makes sense, and I’ll listen to Sir.”

 

Seeing Zhou Xun looking at him, the Emperor added, “This… can we call it ‘knowledge is power’? Or ‘homework practice’?”

 

Zhou Xun’s eyes softened a bit. Though he still had a tight-lipped smile, there was a curve of amusement in his eyes.

 

As they continued reviewing memorials, lunchtime arrived. Xiao Lizhi, dressed in a gauzy robe, limped over to lead the eunuchs in serving their meal.

 

Zhou Xun hadn’t eaten such greasy dishes in a long time, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit disgusted by the sight of the oily table of food.

 

Despite his discomfort, Zhou Xun restrained himself from showing any overt signs of distaste for the food. However, he did eat less than usual.

 

The Emperor, on the other hand, immediately noticed Zhou Xun’s lack of appetite and instructed Xiao Lizhi, “Bring some good dessert from the kitchen to help lift his spirits.”

 

After being sternly admonished, Xiao Lizhi abandoned his frivolous attitude and became highly respectful, promptly requesting the kitchen to send over some soft sweets.

 

“Eat some sweets, it will improve your mood,” the Emperor told Zhou Xun. “Sugar can stimulate dopamine production, sugar is power!”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

The Emperor continued, “I really said that.”

 

As Zhou Xun savored the sweet rose-flavored sugar cake melting in his mouth, he couldn’t help but feel a bittersweet sensation. It had been a long time since he had tasted something like this. It reminded him that Zhou Cai had never liked sweets.

 

When he was young… he hadn’t dared to express his preferences either.

 

After lunch, the Emperor was still full of energy. He stretched and suggested, “We’ve been so productive today. How about we take a walk in the palace to stretch our legs and get some fresh air?”

 

He patted Zhou Xun’s shoulder, saying, “Look at this beautiful weather. Let’s go out, soak up some sun, and get rid of the dampness. We don’t want to stay inside and get moldy, right?”

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

What’s with the Emperor’s fixation on “getting moldy”?

 

He simply nodded.

 

As they were about to leave the Heart-Rejuvenating Palace, Xiao Lizhi added, “Your Majesty, today Empress Zhao is hosting a flower-viewing banquet at the Lake Pavilion. She has invited Your Majesty. Will you attend?”

 

“Empress Zhao?!” The Emperor was taken aback. “I… I have a consort?”

 

Xiao Lizhi:…

 

Zhou Xun:…

 

The Emperor’s tone implied that he had never considered himself to have a harem.

 

With a guilty look, the Emperor glanced at Zhou Xun and asked, “This… is it okay if I bring him along?”

 

Xiao Lizhi replied, “If Master Zhou is willing to grace us with his presence, Empress Zhao will certainly be pleased.”

 

So, the Emperor brought Zhou Xun with him. Along the way, he looked nervous and uneasy.

 

“Damn it…” Zhou Xun overheard his quiet muttering, “Arranged marriages, blind dates… When I read novels, they always have no female leads. What’s going on? Are they trying to set up a romantic subplot for me? The Xiongnu isn’t conquered yet, my career plotline isn’t established, and now they want to introduce a romance plotline…”

 

The Lake Pavilion stood in the middle of the emerald lake, surrounded by delicate veils fluttering in the lake breeze.

 

The Emperor and Zhou Xun rode a boat to approach the scene in the distance.

 

The Emperor fell into silence.

 

“Are all my… consorts here?” he asked.

 

Xiao Lizhi counted them one by one and respectfully replied, “All of Your Majesty’s concubines are here.”

 

The Emperor:…

 

Zhou Xun could feel the trembling body of the person next to him.

 

“Why…” the Emperor’s voice seemed to come from another world, “are all my consorts…”

 

“All male!!!!!!”