After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 89

Chapter 89: A Terrifying Emperor

 

“A book?”

 

Zhou Xun looked at the emperor in disbelief. “What kind of book?”

 

The emperor rubbed his nose and said, “A book… that the entire nation has to read.”

 

Zhou Xun: ??

 

“Maybe… something like The Analects?” The emperor seemed conflicted. “Mainly because what you said was so similar to the words in that book. Even the scars on your body matched the marks I made on the book. Before I crossed over, I joked about how ‘within books lie beauties,’ thinking it didn’t matter if I lost the book. But could a beauty from the book come to assassinate me? Then…”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

The emperor: “Then, one by one, the details matched… Don’t laugh at me! Time travel isn’t scientific to begin with. The moment I crossed over and saw you, thinking you were a sentient book here to kill me—what’s so wrong about that?”

 

Zhou Xun stared at him for a long time. After a while, he burst into laughter.

 

The emperor turned red as Zhou Xun laughed. “Why, why are you laughing like that?”

 

“The Analects? The Analects… I’m laughing because you thought I was The Analects. Hahaha…” Zhou Xun laughed so hard he couldn’t catch his breath, his pen trembling in his hand. “Sharing a bed with a book? Keeping it by your pillow? Dreaming of exams related to books?”

 

The emperor’s face grew even redder. “Well, at first…”

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

The emperor: “I almost mistook you for Lu Xun!”

 

Zhou Xun: “?? What?”

 

Zhou Xun looked confused again. The emperor explained, “Look, ‘Either erupt in silence or perish in silence,’ ‘The sorrows of humanity are not interconnected,’ ‘Do not hesitate to assume the worst about others’—these are all things that gentleman said!”

 

Zhou Xun: ??

 

The emperor: “I almost wanted to ask if you had any trees planted at your courtyard gate…”

 

Zhou Xun couldn’t understand how the emperor could make such a comment. He said, “There are indeed two trees at my courtyard gate.”

 

The emperor: “? What kind of trees?”

 

Zhou Xun: “One is a date tree, and the other is also a date…”

 

The emperor’s expression turned horrified. “Stop, stop!”

 

Zhou Xun noticed the emperor’s sudden panic. “…?”

 

“Nothing, nothing. That’s too against the core values, hahaha…” The emperor laughed awkwardly, rubbing his forehead and exhaling deeply. “If I had mistaken you for that gentleman, I wouldn’t have dared share a bed with you before the truth was revealed, let alone…”

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

The emperor: “Haha, even just imagining it makes me want to sew my mouth shut. What a sin that would be.”

 

Zhou Xun paused and asked again, “And this gentleman you almost mistook me for—who exactly was he?”

 

The emperor thought for a moment. “A great writer who criticized societal issues.”

 

Zhou Xun couldn’t quite grasp the concept, so the emperor added, “Someone akin to how you see Confucius, perhaps?”

 

“Confucius… Confucius… Hahaha…”

 

This time, Zhou Xun couldn’t help but burst out laughing again.

 

From The Analects to Confucius to a great writer…

 

The emperor truly never treated him like the Fifth Prince did, as a mere plaything to replace someone else.

 

He thought, today’s sky really was as clear as a sapphire.

 

The emperor felt even more embarrassed as Zhou Xun laughed without stopping. He grew both annoyed and flustered. “Hey, stop laughing, stop laughing!”

 

Saying this, he pounced to cover Zhou Xun’s mouth. Zhou Xun, pulled by him, fell backward—

 

The emperor: “Wait!”

 

He quickly placed his hand under Zhou Xun’s head. “Now we can—”

 

Both fell to the ground.

 

The emperor: “…We’ve fallen.”

 

Dazed from the fall, they stared at each other. The emperor anxiously asked, “Are you hurt?”

 

Zhou Xun shook his head.

 

The emperor: “But I am! Ouch!”

 

The emperor withdrew his hand and started shaking it. Zhou Xun, seeing this, grew worried. “I’ll get some alcohol to treat it for you—”

 

The emperor suddenly turned magnanimous. “No need, no need. Just disinfect it with saliva. I’ll lick it myself.”

 

Zhou Xun, too flustered to hear clearly, thought the emperor was refusing help and anxiously said, “Then let me—”

 

As he approached, he noticed the emperor’s face turning suspiciously red.

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

The emperor blushed, stared at him for a moment, and then burst out laughing. “Hahaha, I’ll do it myself!”

 

…Zhou Xun watched as the emperor withdrew his hand.

 

Zhou Xun: Fascinating.

 

“Let me see.”

 

The emperor’s hand rested in Zhou Xun’s. Zhou Xun’s fingers were slender and defined. He examined each knuckle carefully, confirming there was no serious injury before saying, “I just don’t know if the bone’s hurt… We should visit the imperial infirmary.”

 

The emperor: “Oh, come on. It’s supposed to be a joyous occasion. Drawing blood is so unlucky.”

 

Zhou Xun’s face darkened. “You’re coming with me.”

 

The emperor: …

 

Now the emperor obediently followed Zhou Xun, muttering along the way, “What’s a little scratch to a real man?” However, when Zhou Xun glanced over, the emperor quickly made a gesture of zipping his mouth shut.

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

“Looks like Master Zhou has finally tamed the emperor…”

 

As the two entered the infirmary, Zhou Xun overheard two young guards gossiping outside. He pretended not to hear, while the emperor beside him rubbed his nose.

 

Fortunately, the emperor’s hand was fine. Zhou Xun relaxed. When they left the infirmary, an elderly woman rushed up to them.

 

“Oh, Master Xun, Master Xun, I finally found you!” she cried, wailing loudly. “Please, come to my house! Something terrible has happened!”

 

Something terrible?

 

Zhou Xun recognized her as Lu Bin’s mother but didn’t know what had happened. However, her commotion had already attracted onlookers. Zhou Xun cast them a glance, then gently comforted her while leading her to the main hall.

 

Madam Lu sobbed intermittently as she spoke. It took Zhou Xun a while to piece together her story: “Some hooligans came to your house to demand payment?”

 

“Yes, yes,” Madam Lu wept, “Oh, I’m just an old woman. How could I fend off so many of them? So I came here to see if Doctor He or Miss Zhang were around, but they weren’t! Luckily, I found you…”

 

Lu Bin, fine as he was, how did he provoke hooligans?

 

Zhou Xun frowned slightly but said, “There must be some misunderstanding. I’ll go take a look.”

 

Madam Lu hurriedly objected. “Oh no, it’s too dirty and chaotic there. There’s no need for you to go personally. Just send someone to drive them away.”

 

She thought she had concealed her intentions perfectly, but the guard standing nearby noticed something fishy. Though Madam Lu appeared to cry, her eyes were darting shiftily at Zhou Xun. What could she be plotting?

 

The guard wanted to warn Zhou Xun, but before he could speak, Zhou Xun calmly said, “It’s not a bother. Guard Wang, prepare a carriage for me.”

 

“This…”

 

“When Master Zhou gives an order, he must have his reasons,” another guard whispered to Guard Wang. “Just follow through.”

 

The guards left to prepare the carriage. Madam Lu grew increasingly uneasy. She tried twice more to dissuade Zhou Xun, but he only smiled and reassured her.

 

Madam Lu began to realize that the resolve of a scholar could be far more unnerving than brute strength.

 

When they boarded the carriage, Madam Lu appeared even more anxious. Seeing another unfamiliar gentleman join them, she asked nervously, “And who might this young master be…?”

 

“My surname is Zha.”

 

“Oh, Master Zha, Master Zha.” Madam Lu’s eyes darted around. “And the two young masters…?”

 

The emperor replied earnestly, “Master Xun and I are good friends.”

 

“Oh, friends, friends…”

 

The entire journey, Madam Lu kept trying to dissuade them, but both Master Zha and Master Xun seemed firm and unaffected by her words. As the carriage neared the Lu residence in a narrow alley, Madam Lu’s face turned pale as a sheet.

 

Zhou Xun had barely stepped off the carriage when he heard a loud commotion inside.

 

“I don’t care! You must give us brothers an explanation!”

 

“Explanation? Explanation! I already sent the money back half a month ago. What explanation can I give you?” Another voice, seemingly infuriated, retorted.

 

“Uncle Bao was right. You just want to take the money and ditch us brothers, don’t you?”

 

“Your leg may be injured, but what about the money we pooled for the voyage? When you said you urgently needed to go to the capital to find your mother, did any of us press you to return the money first? Didn’t we all show you understanding? Now your leg’s broken, but don’t all our families rely on us to survive? If our families weren’t starving, would we have come looking for you like this?”

 

Zhou Xun frowned slightly and was about to step inside when a hand suddenly stopped him.

 

Zhou Xun: ?

 

“Let’s wait a bit longer,” the emperor said, gazing into the courtyard with a thoughtful expression, completely different from how he appeared when talking with Zhou Xun. “We’ll go in later.”

 

The argument inside carried on for a while, with no resolution in sight. Seeing that no one was stepping in, Madam Lu bit her lip and stormed forward. “Are you all trying to drive my son and me to our deaths?”

 

“Mother! Tell them, didn’t you already send the money? Show them the receipt and stop them from twisting the facts!” Lu Bin shouted, leaning on his crutch.

 

“The receipt… the receipt…” Madam Lu’s eyes darted about as she started wailing again. “You all have hands and feet! Why are you targeting a helpless mother and son like us? Do you want me to end my life here?”

 

“Mother—”

 

“Let her try.”

 

The unexpected voice came from the courtyard gate. Everyone turned in shock to see a young man in dark robes standing there, hands clasped behind his back and a faint smile on his face. “Madam Lu, if you really go through with it, you’ll not only save this money but, out of humanitarian concerns, these people might even have to compensate you. Doesn’t that sound like a profitable deal?”

 

Though she didn’t understand what “humanitarian concerns” meant, Madam Lu had no actual intention of dying and was only trying to scare the others. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. The young man in dark robes chuckled coldly. “It’s about time to drop this little act.”

 

“Who… who are you?” Lu Bin asked in alarm.

 

“My name is Cha. I’m in my twenties, live near the Forbidden City, and I’m unmarried. I work for the government as a civil servant and often have to work overtime until ten at night. I neither smoke nor drink heavily,” the dark-robed man said casually as he walked into the courtyard. “I live a disciplined life, sleep soundly every night, and never let fatigue carry over to the next day. My doctor says I’m perfectly healthy… ahem.”

 

After saying all this, the young man’s smile suddenly turned peculiar, almost eerie. The people in the courtyard exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to respond.

 

“Did the Lu family call you?” The burly man with the dark face asked sharply. He had remained silent throughout the argument, arms crossed, and seemed to be the leader of the group.

 

The young man shook his head.

 

“He’s with the authorities. Since someone from the government is here, let’s settle this properly!” one person shouted, but the dark-faced man cut him off with a wave.

 

Glaring suspiciously at the newcomer, the dark-faced man asked, “Whose side are you on? What’s your purpose here?”

 

The young man smiled faintly.

 

“To serve the people,” he declared firmly.

 

“And the money…”

 

“Is it here?”

 

Another voice, cold and clear, interrupted. While the dark-robed man spoke, a young man in white robes had slipped into the inner room and returned with an envelope.

 

He handed the envelope to the dark-robed man and turned his gaze to the trembling Madam Lu.

 

“Wait a moment,” the dark-robed man said suddenly. “Bring a chair over. Let’s sit and talk this out properly.”

 

He patted the hand of the young man in white. “Sit beside me.”

 

…

 

“Now that everything’s clear,” the dark-robed man concluded, holding the envelope in his hand, “and both parties have admitted to the facts, let’s discuss how to resolve this case.”

 

“Mother!” Lu Bin cried out after learning the truth. “How could you be so reckless?”

 

Knowing she was in the wrong, Madam Lu said nothing. The other men looked at one another, uncertain. Finally, one of them muttered, “To be fair, the head of the household has it tough. His leg is injured, and he was willing to send us the money. It’s just that something went wrong in the middle. Treating him like this now seems a bit…”

 

“He’s had a hard time, but have we had it any easier?” another man snapped. “Old Yi, don’t be stupid. He lost his leg but could still afford a new house. But what about us? We’re so poor we can barely put food on the table! And you, Old Yi—because of this issue, your wife went back to her family with the baby!”

 

The man called Old Yi fell silent, knowing he had no comeback. Still, the money was gone, and Lu Bin had no way to return the dozens of taels of silver.

 

“Show some leniency. Why be so—”

 

“We’re supposed to go easy on him? Did that old hag show us any mercy?”

 

“Hey, at least I don’t have a wife who ran off. I’m free to live as I please—”

 

“What the hell did you say? Say that again!”

 

As tempers flared and someone picked up a bench, Zhou Xun prepared to intervene, but a hand pressed lightly on the back of his.

 

He turned to see the emperor sitting calmly in a chair, sipping tea. The emperor mouthed silently, “Wait a little longer.”

 

The tension in the courtyard reached its peak, but the dark-robed man finally spoke up. “Since neither side can resolve this according to their own rules, why not settle this according to government regulations?”

 

The men exchanged glances and discussed it briefly. Finally, the dark-faced man stepped forward as their representative. “Then we’ll abide by the government’s rules. We’ll leave it to you, sir.”

 

Lu Bin also bowed. “We’ll trouble you, sir!”

 

“Let’s get to the root of the issue, then.” The dark-robed man smiled serenely. “According to statute XX, section XX…”

 

Everyone: …

 

The dark-robed man: “…Privately assembled merchant ships, and any profits from their operations, must be confiscated in full by the government unless officially sanctioned.”

 

That certainly solved the problem at its root.

 

“You—”

 

“What?!”

 

“Don’t! Don’t act rashly!” the dark-faced man shouted, calming the restless group. He turned back to the dark-robed man, suppressing his anger. “The official is right, but…”

 

“—However,” the dark-robed man interrupted with a faint smile, “the government is currently organizing a fleet of ships for overseas trade and has designated several ports as trial locations. Qingzhou happens to be among them.”

 

“Have you considered working for the imperial court?”

 

…

 

The matter was resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. The Lu family’s debts were cleared, the fleet found a new home, and everything—from the ship to the crew and even the island Lu Bin discovered—was claimed by the emperor under the doctrine that all under heaven belongs to the sovereign.

 

Of course, the emperor graciously sold Lu Bin the mining rights to the island, in exchange for 80% of its treasures. Though Lu Bin initially objected to such a steep demand, Zhou Xun explained, “Without the government’s protection, do you think you could keep this windfall safe from prying eyes? With the government involved, you get to keep at least 20%. Without it, who knows how many would already be plotting to take it from you?”

 

Lu Bin shuddered at the thought. Men like Zhou Hong, bold and lawless, were not rare. That he had managed to retain the treasure thus far was a stroke of luck. The powerful families in the capital, like the Shangguan and Lu clans, had likely deemed his wealth too insignificant to bother with. But now, faced with these revelations and the dark-robed man’s imposing aura—clearly that of a high-ranking official—Lu Bin realized the court’s interest in his find went far beyond money.

 

The mention of the emperor’s plans for the sea routes, coupled with his island’s strategic location as a midway point between the nation and foreign lands, sparked a revelation in Lu Bin’s mind.

 

The fleet, the expansion, the suppression of pirates…

 

This hidden agenda was far-reaching!

 

Lu Bin’s imagination raced, and he felt his hands tremble with excitement. Was this entire chain of events—from the maritime map Zhou Xun had requested to today’s confrontation—a carefully orchestrated test of his loyalty and character?

 

Then his eyes fell on an unnoticed detail.

 

A dragon emblem.

 

Embroidered on the dark-robed man’s boots.

 

Lu Bin froze.

 

That was… the imperial dragon insignia!

 

It must have been a deliberate signal—an implicit test left by the emperor himself!

 

Tears welled up in Lu Bin’s eyes.

 

The emperor had graced this place personally. What greater honor could there be? This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Working for the emperor wasn’t about money; it was about trust!

 

The emperor looked at Lu Bin, whose face was cycling through various emotions. Holding his tea, the emperor pondered. Did I push him too hard? Maybe I should have asked for less…

 

Finally, Lu Bin spoke. The emperor sat up straight.

 

Negotiations were about to begin.

 

“Sir, 80/20 does seem excessive…” Lu Bin began hesitantly.

 

…As expected!

 

The emperor’s disappointment was short-lived, as Lu Bin continued, “What qualifies me to take as much as 20%? A tenth—no, half that amount is more than enough for me!”

 

The emperor: ?

 

“You might want to reconsider that,” the emperor replied, bewildered.

 

Lu Bin interpreted this as another test of his intelligence. “I understand your intentions fully, sir. From now on, I will follow your lead!”

 

The emperor: ?

 

For the first time in his life, the emperor found himself troubled by a victim who was too eager to cooperate.

 

…

 

Afterward, Zhou Xun commented, “I never expected His Majesty to handle matters with such… finesse? Tactical brilliance?”

 

The emperor smiled mysteriously. Praise from Zhou Xun was always welcome, even if he had no idea what Zhou was talking about.

 

“You stopped me earlier because you were waiting for the right moment, correct?” Zhou Xun asked. “To take advantage of their internal discord?”

 

The emperor grinned. “I wasn’t waiting for the right moment.”

 

“Then what were you waiting for?”

 

The emperor glanced at the courtyard, where the dispute had subsided, and whispered to Zhou Xun:

 

“For reinforcements. If I’d said anything earlier about taking their ships, crews, and treasure, they might have beaten me up!”

 

Zhou Xun: …

 

The emperor chuckled. “A nice little windfall to replenish the treasury! All that spending on schools and infrastructure nearly cleaned me out!”