"Y-Your majesty? Aren't you suppose to stay at the banquet?" He asked, still with a surprised look on his face. He never thought that he'd meet the emperor underneath the willow tree, sitting on its bulging roots, holding a broken stick cut into two.
"Eunuch Xu, you're here. Why aren't you there at the banquet too?" Yin Wenyan still hasn't recovered from the shock but he managed to conceal it. Xu Zhengming saw a few strokes of characters written on the ground. His majesty must have written something with his stick before he broke it into two.
Yin Wenyan saw where Xu Zhengming's eyes were looking and so he quickly stamps his feet on it, erasing the writings and giving him a bashful smile.
Xu Zhengming puffed a laugh and sits beside the prince.
"It's you who said you don't need my assistance anymore, your majesty. You even told me to retreat in the servant's quarters."
"Oh." Yin Wenyan finally got the pieces together. "Sorry, that slipped in my mind.
Ten days have already passed since the night of the banquet but still, the Yin siblings haven't heard anything from their teachers yet.The door of the Lotus Hall slides open. The princess general made her way across the hall towards the round table where Emperor Yin Renshu is bored to death."I just received the reply from Wan MoliHua Palace." Princess Yin Xiulan said the moment she sits on the chair intended for her. Her left hand holds a folded paper.Three days ago, Yin Wenyan, Yin Xiulan, and Yin Renshu sent a pigeon carrying a message intended to the Wan MoliHua Palace sect leader, Zhao Yangguang. Ever since they left the imperial palace, the three of them aren't sure of their whereabouts.Yin Renshu asks, "Have you read it? Was it from shizun himself?""This response is from Elder Ling Chyou. She said shizun and Wang-shifu haven't returned since they came for us." She handed the letter to his brother. Yin Renshu unfolds the paper and reads t
"Nonsense? What's nonsense about it?" Emperor Yin Renshu complains as soon as they entered the Lotus Hall."Strange. Isn't she worried that the epidemic gets spread inside the imperial palace walls?" Princess Yin Xiulan also retorted."Don't be stressed over it, Grand Empress Dowager. I don't think our plans will be spoiled by this." Yin Renshu and Yin Xiulan look in the direction where the voice came from. Prince Yin Wenyan just came inside through the big circular window.He continued, "That's what the empress dowager said to our beloved grandmother,"Yin Renshu can't help but raise his eyebrows, "Do you really see her as our grandmother?" Yin Wenyan on the other hand just shrugs as a response."Plans? What sort of plans?" Yin Xiulan asks."That... I can't say just yet." Yin Wenyan answers, "We must not jump directly to conclusions but don't disregard the possibilities.""There must be something they're plotting without our knowledg
Multiple kinds of women's perfume are all over the place to the point it's irritating to the nose. The slow music that the guqin makes sounded but the giggling and soft voices belonging to ladies dominated.A voice of a lady sounded near Xu Zhengming's ear. The whisper sounds sweet and seductive, "Lao Xu, it's been a while since you visited us here. We missed you so much." She caresses his cheek and it tickles him.With a wide grin, he looks at her and asks, "Did you miss me, jiejie?"Xu Zhengming is currently sitting at a table good for two and drinking wine. Three women are surrounding him. They're all have slender bodies, fair-skinned, and wearing smiles on their lips. These ladies are wearing thin clothes and exposing too much skin. Their faces have a strong smell of rogue.The lady answered, "Of course, you're one of our regular customers after all."The lady on his left side asks, "Lao Xu, you've got a companion this time. Why won't you intro
The night has finally come and the moon shines so bright and is accompanied by the twinkling stars. The gentle moonlight serves as the only illumination for Prince Yin Wenyan, who is getting ready to go wherever destiny brings him on his journey in finding the spirit herb. "Do you really have to do this?" Princess Yin Xiulan asks with a hint of worry in her voice. Without looking back at her, he answers while putting a black leather cloak on himself. "I don't want to sit still and do nothing while my dear friend is dying." Yin Xiulan closes her eyes and breathes deeply before opening her eyes again. "Wenyan, I'm sorry but I think you're being too emotional. Did you even consider the possible risks? You don't have to feel sympathy for him." She added, "To die for their master is their highest honor they can attain." "It's a warrior's line. 'To die for their leader is their greatest honor,'" Prince Wenyan finally turns around to face his sister. He's st
[There are two reasons why I am writing extra chapters in the middle of the novel. It's either I'm bored and decided to make one, and/or it's somehow related but not very significant in the story as a whole. But still, I hope you'll enjoy it. :D] "Eunuch Xu..." Emperor Yin Renshu calls out to his silly eunuch. The wine house is still bustling with all these people drinking and being loud. But for some unexplainable reasons, Yin Renshu and Xu Zhengming can still hear each other clearly. Maybe it's true that you can't choose what you'll hear but you can focus on what you want to listen to. "Hmm?" Xu Zhengming looks at him attentively, waiting for his next words. Yin Renshu still feels unwell even after throwing up. His mind is in a total mess. He can't think straight or even choose the words to say and do not. Smiling lazily, the emperor asks casually, "You actually know you're beautiful?" Xu Zhengming got caught off-guard. He's not expe
"You're late." Court Lady Han wears a long face as she looks at the newly arrived Eunuch Xu.It's been almost an hour and a half since Court Lady Han and the rest of the emperor's personal maids remained standing outside the Pavilion of Literary Glory. They did nothing and will do nothing but to stand outside to wait for his majesty until the ongoing conference ends.Xu Zhengming forced a laugh. With a hoarse voice, he said, "Sorry, Court Lady Han. I won't be late again."Like the past few mornings, Eunuch Xu wakes up with a dry throat again. Every morning, his condition gets worse. Even three cups of water aren't enough to quench his thirst. It feels like, water is never enough. But what is it? What should he drink so that he can feel better? And his teeth, particularly his canine teeth... it feels strange.Setting his condition aside, this eunuch doesn't have an alibi for his tardiness today. He won't deny the fact that he overslept. He retired so late
"Maiden Murong.""Murong Chi!""Murong jiejie?"The maiden was enjoying her peaceful time alone under a tree near the imperial academy. However, she couldn't concentrate on reading anymore because of a nuisance. Her eyebrows twitch and annoyingly closes the book she's reading."Young master Xu, please don't bother me."The young lady wears a rose-pink long dress matched with a pair of snow-white shoes. Her hair is kept in a simple bun without any hair ornaments. Her lower face is concealed with a veil, only revealing her beautiful almond-shaped eyes. The aura around her is solemn. Definitely that kind of aloof and well-behaved classmate that you don't want to bother.However, Xu Zhengming will always be Xu Zhengming. Whether he's sixteen or twenty-three years old, he's always thick-faced, insensitive, and reckless. With a cheerful face, he asks Murong Chi, "Do you really enjoy studying? You spend your free time reading old books."She
Murong Chi can't get rid of the empress' words in her mind. Does she mean to say that she loves Xu Zhengming? Well, she's somehow concerned about him since he's her friend but...Now that she thinks about it, Xu Zhengming is always treating her well. Although he's forced to come with her at first, he willingly sneaks out with her later on. From their first hunting 'together', she figured out that Xu Zhengming isn't into hunting but he's still willing to follow her.Then she just figured out how he follows him around wherever she wants to go. Whenever she climbs trees, he's always reminding her to be careful not to fall and watch for insects. Whenever she's trying to catch fish in the river, he's always following her with their shoes in his hands. Whenever she's running across the woods, he tries his best to catch up and match her pace.And most of all, he's the one who can bring out her real self. With him, she can be careless, be free, be herself. He saw right