Exit
"Not enough, not enough, why not!"
In the dim secret room, He Xuanli swept away the tortoise shell in front of him.
His usually calm face was now covered in sweat, his eyes were red, and veins throbbing on his forehead. He pressed his hand to his forehead, hunched over and supported his knees, panting for a long time before finally calming down.
"Not enough," he muttered.
"Master Imperial Preceptor." The gatekeeper bowed respectfully upon seeing He Xuanli emerge from confinement. "Master Imperial Preceptor, would you like to have a meal? The food is already prepared in the back hall."
"Tell Ji Yuanhang to come to me."
Ji Yuanhang has been living a good life recently. He has been spared the trouble of fortune-telling for the emperor every day. Finally, he doesn't have to worry every day, fearing that any words or expressions will offend the emperor and he will be dragged out and beheaded.
But before the happy days had even lasted a few days, the Imperial Master unexpectedly came out of seclusion, several months earlier than any of his previous retreats.
"Master, what is the matter?" Ji Yuanhang asked the person who came to deliver the message tentatively.
The messenger shook his head, "The Imperial Master didn't say anything." He had a close relationship with Ji Yuanhang and reminded him, "But I saw that when the Imperial Master came out of seclusion, he looked anxious and his eyes were red. It seems that things are not going well."
Ji Yuanhang felt a sinking feeling in his heart. He said goodbye to the messenger and went to the residence of the imperial teacher.
He Xuanli, the Imperial Preceptor, held a high position in the palace and even had his own palace. When Ji Yuanhang came over, he saw He Xuanli standing on the covered bridge, looking at the koi in the river.
"Here I come." The national teacher said without raising his head.
"Master Imperial Master." Ji Yuanhang saluted carefully, not daring to say much. He controlled his eyes not to look around or tremble.
"Why are you so far away?" He Xuanli said calmly, "What has Fang Li been doing these past few days?"
Cold sweat soaked his back, and Ji Yuanhang thought to himself, "Oh no!" He hadn't seen Fang Li in several days, so how could he know what she had done? But it was difficult to confess this to the Imperial Master, so he could only vaguely say, "Miss Fang, as is customary, predicts good and bad luck for His Majesty every day. The rest of the time, she observes the stars at the Imperial Observatory..."
"Thistle Voyages Away."
Ji Yuanhang fell to his knees with a thud. He crouched on the ground, his face pressed against the cracks in the bricks. "Master Imperial Master, spare my life."
"What are you afraid of?" He Xuanli's tone was unrecognizable, "Bring Fang Li to see me."
Ji Yuanhang crawled out of the garden, not feeling any hope at all. He first went back to the Imperial Observatory but didn't see Fang Li, so he found a eunuch to take him to meet the emperor.
Along the way, he asked indirectly and reluctantly what Fang Li had been doing during this period. After asking, Ji Yuanhang just wanted to kneel down.
He's in big trouble this time.
"What's the matter?" He Hongli put his hands behind his back and looked down at Ji Yuanhang who was kneeling on the ground.
"The Imperial Master summoned the Astronomical Officer." Ji Yuanhang said respectfully.
"Xingguan is not feeling well and can't go." He Hongli said coldly.
Ji Yuanhang gritted his teeth and continued to ask, "Your Majesty, I wonder where the star official is now? I, your humble servant, am a colleague of yours, so it's only right that I go and visit him."
He Hongli: "Inside."
Inside? What inside? This is already His Majesty's bedroom, inside the bedroom...
Fang Li...sleeps on the dragon bed?
Drops of cold sweat fell to the ground. Ji Yuanhang knelt many times a day, but he didn't feel any pain in his knees. If it hurt, it would be fine. I'm afraid he will never feel pain again!
He could only continue to move out the Grand Master.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Preceptor has just emerged from retreat, and he must be seeking the Star Official regarding something important. Could you allow me to take the Star Official back to report?"
He Hongli: "Okay."
Ji Yuanhang was delighted, but before he could express his gratitude, he heard the emperor continue, "Since it is so important, let the Imperial Master come and receive it in person."
After he finished speaking, he turned and left. Ji Yuanhang wanted to say more, but was stopped by the eunuch next to him: "Please go back."
Ji Yuanhang felt bitter in his heart and weak in his limbs. He felt that he was unlucky today and his life was over.
He dragged his body back to report to the Imperial Master, but was surprised to learn that the Imperial Master was not there.
He Xuanli arrived at the Imperial Astronomical Observatory. Each of the astronomical officials had a small room. Su Fangli naturally had one as well. He pushed the door open at the end of the corridor and went in.
The bed was neatly made and there was a layer of dust on the table, which showed that no one had lived there for several days.
He walked closer, picked up the paper on the table and examined it.
He Xuanli looked gloomy when he saw the messy disc and incomprehensible symbols. Just as he was about to put it down, he found a familiar birth date written on one of the discs.
He Xuanli took out the disc from his arms and found that there were cracks on it. The cracks were extremely fine and small, but they spread from one point to the entire disc.
His expression grew colder, and he turned and strode away.
Qinzheng Hall.
He Hongli heard the report and pushed the door open to enter the imperial study.
"National Master."
The Imperial Master, dressed in white and ethereal, was already there. He stood before the imperial desk. When he heard the door open, he turned around and, without a bow, simply moved his lips: "Your Majesty."
"I wonder why the National Master is here?" He Hongli walked over and sat down, picked up a brush and played with it, and said casually.
"Your Majesty, what are your thoughts on the selection of a concubine?" He Xuanli suddenly asked.
He Hongli was stunned. "It hasn't been decided yet."
"Your Majesty is already old. It's time to expand your harem and have more children." He Xuanli said, "Let's decide today."
He Hongli hesitated, and suddenly a figure appeared in his mind. Still or moving, happy or angry, that figure instantly filled his entire thoughts.
He said vaguely, "No hurry, I need to think about it again."
He Xuanli picked up a scroll and unfolded it to take a look. Even though he was the Imperial Master, it wasn't right for him to touch anything on the imperial desk like that. But he didn't care. He unfolded the scroll and placed it on the desk. Pointing to someone, he said, "Your Majesty, what do you think of this girl?"
The scroll depicted the wives of officials from various places. He Hongli had never seen it before, nor did he want to. Without even thinking, he shook his head: "Not good."
He Xuanli chuckled, pushed the scroll in front of He Hongli, and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you take a closer look."
He Hongli felt restless and lowered his eyes in dissatisfaction. He was immediately stunned, and the forced composure he had just shown vanished. He said in astonishment, "Why is it her?"
The person in the painting is Su Fangli.
The portrait only shows the head, with thin eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, cherry lips and a raised nose, calmly gazing directly at the viewer. With just a few strokes, it is vivid and natural.
He Hongli carefully looked at every inch of the painting and was shocked to find that the ink had not dried yet. As the scroll unfolded, a smudge spread from the corner of the woman's eye and disappeared into her hair.
As if sensing something, he lowered his eyes to look at his hands.
The brush that I had just picked up to play with was still stained with ink and gave off a faint scent of ink.
"What do you mean, Imperial Master?" He Hongli put down the brush in his hand and looked directly at the Imperial Master opposite him.
"Your Majesty, what do you think of this woman? Is she worthy of your Majesty's approval?" He Xuanli's eyes seemed to be half-smiled, but his voice was firm and certain: "If your Majesty approves, I will return to study the celestial phenomena and choose an auspicious day to prepare the wedding ceremony for your Majesty."
He Hongli said nothing, but in his heart he was repeatedly thinking about the meaning of the Imperial Master's actions.
After a long silence, He Xuanli frowned. He wasn't as relaxed as he appeared. Time waited for no one, and he had more important things to do.
Seeing this, he gave up playing dumb with He Hongli and said directly: "I know that Your Majesty resents me for controlling the government and making Your Majesty a puppet emperor. But without me, Your Majesty would not be able to sit on this throne. This is a mutually beneficial situation between Your Majesty and me."
"Your Majesty, rest assured. I have no interest in the throne or the empire. I will leave this place once my mission is accomplished."
He Hongli looked at the Imperial Master's expression seriously, and his heart began to beat violently at his words.
He had been a puppet emperor for such a long time that he could see that the imperial teacher did not want to usurp the throne.
"What should I do?"
"Waiting to marry Xingguan."
He Hongli was silent and asked him, "Why a star official?"
"She and Your Majesty are destined to be together," He Xuanli said. "I believe Your Majesty and the star official are destined to be together. Your Majesty does not reject this idea. As for the marriage, Your Majesty should personally propose it. I will take my leave."
After He Xuanli finished speaking, he took the scroll and turned to leave.
He Hongli stared at the scroll in his hand until the door of the imperial study closed again and he could no longer see it. Then he closed his eyes, leaned against the throne and sighed softly.
He has nothing but the throne, he is just a puppet.
But he also wants to have something he really wants.
Su Fangli fainted for three days.
Three days later she woke up and found that she had changed her identity again.
"Marry His Majesty?" She was surprised. "Why?"
He Hongli clenched his hands behind his back and said in a deliberately stiff tone, "This is an imperial decree."
"But I am only a star official... and..."
"No buts." He Hongli interrupted, "This is an imperial decree."
Su Fangli looked at He Hongli's expression and noticed that his eyelashes were trembling and his body was stiff. She felt strange, but she probably couldn't ask anything. She thought for a moment and asked, "Did the Imperial Master come to see me during the time I was in a coma?"
"The Imperial Master is calculating an auspicious date for our wedding."
It seems that the national teacher knows it.
Su Fangli thought that seeing the emperor's sudden change, this matter was most likely proposed by the Imperial Preceptor. What happened in between the Imperial Preceptor's hasty retreat and his hasty request for the emperor to arrange a marriage?
Suddenly, she thought of something and asked He Hongli, "Your Majesty, do you know how the Imperial Master changed his surname?"
He Hongli was taken aback by her sudden question, and a strange emotion immediately surged in his heart. He mistook it for anger and said indignantly, "The star official is very interested in the national teacher?"
Su Fangli was surprised and shook her head.
He Hongli's anger subsided when he saw her clear eyes. He pursed his lips and explained, "The late emperor adopted the Imperial Master as his adopted son and gave him the imperial surname."
Adoption. Su Fangli continued to ask: "If I marry Your Majesty, will Your Majesty grant me the surname of the emperor?"
"You want it?" He Hongli blushed.
Su Fangli: "I want it."
The Imperial Master once prevented Fang Li from marrying the prince, confiscated Fang Li's property, and exiled her far away.
But he went to Yunchuan City and brought herself back to the capital, specifically asking her to tell fortunes for the emperor, and also facilitated this marriage. Does this mean that Fang Li, or himself, is indispensable to what the national teacher is planning?
Judging from the National Master's previous actions, the surname "He" must be very important. Since the National Master has given her this opportunity, she might as well wait and see. Maybe she can find a way for the National Master to change his fate and for herself to return to the modern era.
"Do you agree?" He Hongli asked anxiously.
Su Fangli nodded: "Yeah."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
