Chapter 163 If the servant leaves, who will accompany you to finish this play?
Meanwhile, at the Jing Si Pavilion.
The emperor, dressed in casual clothes, was leaning against a soft couch by the window reading a book, the room filled with the smell of bitter medicine.
Su Xiaoyu walked in carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of medicinal soup on it. She walked slowly to the bedside and said respectfully:
"Your Majesty, it's time to take your medicine."
The emperor didn't even lift his eyelids, just snorted coldly through his nose and waved his hand, signaling her to leave.
Su Xiaoyu was not surprised at all, and very 'obediently' withdrew, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Then, carrying the tray, she turned a corner and walked straight to a lush Podocarpus macrophyllus bonsai, picked up the medicine bowl, and tilted her wrist.
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, she brazenly poured the still-steaming medicine into the potted plant.
"What...what are you doing?" The emperor was stunned and blurted out the question instinctively.
Su Xiaoyu put down the empty bowl, turned around, and blinked her clear almond-shaped eyes, as if she didn't understand why the emperor was surprised.
"Your Majesty, I was pouring medicine. Didn't you see me?"
The vein on the emperor's forehead throbbed.
He thought to himself: Of course I know you are pouring out the medicine, but the problem is, as a servant who serves me to drink the medicine, shouldn't you put the medicine down first, then give me a heartfelt plea for advice, and at the same time use the instructions of that rebellious Prince Jing to pressure me?
"How dare you! You dare to throw away my medicine without permission! Do you know what your punishment is?"
Su Xiaoyu tilted her head, showing no fear, and instead asked earnestly:
"May I ask, Your Majesty, would you be willing to drink this medicine?"
The emperor was taken aback by her question, his brows furrowed, his lips pursed, and he did not answer.
Of course he wouldn't drink it.
Regardless of who sent the medicine or what was added to it, he would rather die of illness than be poisoned or controlled in humiliation.
Seeing that he remained silent, Su Xiaoyu answered for him in a calm tone.
"Your Majesty, you won't drink it. I saw that you waved for me to leave, meaning you wouldn't drink it. The result is the same; the medicine won't end up in your stomach. Since that's the case, it's not easy to brew medicine, so at least there are some medicinal herbs in it."
"I've noticed that the leaves of this Podocarpus macrophyllus are turning a bit yellow. Why don't we use them as fertilizer? It wouldn't be a waste, would it?"
"you……"
The emperor was speechless for a moment by her fallacious reasoning and did not know how to refute her.
He was clearly still angry, yet he found the servant's behavior absurd and laughable.
Finally, he chuckled and sneered, "What a silver tongue you have! Aren't you afraid I'll charge you with disrespect and have you dragged out and beaten to death?"
"Then Your Majesty, will you punish this servant?" Su Xiaoyu tilted her head.
emperor:"……"
"This servant was acting according to your instructions. You told me to leave, so I took the medicine and disposed of the things you didn't want. This servant is foolish and doesn't know where I went wrong."
She paused, her voice lower but sincere: "Besides, this servant thinks that Your Majesty... doesn't seem to be the kind of tyrant who would casually beat his servants to death."
The emperor remained silent for a longer time this time.
She stared at Su Xiaoyu for a long time, her cloudy eyes seemingly trying to see through her submissive exterior and understand her inner self.
Finally, the lines around his eyes relaxed slightly, his taut jaw slumped a little, and his tone seemed to reveal a hint of fatigue.
"...It does have some merit. Everyone else avoids it like the plague, so why are you willing to come to this Meditation Pavilion?"
Su Xiaoyu answered honestly, "If this servant said that I was tricked into coming here, would Your Majesty believe me?"
emperor;"……"
He caught a glimpse of Su Xiaoyu's expression that said, "I'm really honest," and inexplicably began to believe her to some extent.
This servant girl—no, this maid—doesn't seem very bright; no wonder she was relegated to this 'cold spot'.
"Since you know you've been fooled and there's no future here, why don't you leave?"
The emperor's voice turned colder: "Get out of here now while no one is stopping you. Staying here will do you no good."
Su Xiaoyu shook her head, her tone calm but with an undeniable firmness.
"No, we can't leave."
The emperor turned his head and looked at her in confusion: "Why? Your legs are on your body, and the door wasn't locked."
"Because I can't leave." Su Xiaoyu met his gaze, her voice clear:
"If this servant leaves, who will continue this charade for you?"
emperor:"……"
As soon as Su Xiaoyu finished speaking, a sharp, cold light suddenly flashed in the emperor's lifeless eyes!
The oppressive aura of someone who had long held a superior position spread out, and the temperature inside the tent seemed to drop several degrees.
This is hardly the imposing presence one would expect from a chronically ill elderly person.
Su Xiaoyu felt a chill run down her spine when she met the emperor's increasingly dangerous gaze.
But she did not back down. Instead, she took a deep breath, lifted her robe, and knelt down.
"Your Majesty need not be suspicious, much less intend to kill me. I am neither one of Prince Jing's men nor some lowly eunuch."
After speaking, Su Xiaoyu untied the drawstring of her hat, pulled off the headband, and let her long, black hair fall down. Her slightly bulky gray clothes also revealed the corners of her inner maid's dress due to the change in posture.
"This servant is Su Xiaoyu, a maid of the Yongning Marquis's residence."
The emperor's pupils contracted!
A maid from the Yongning Marquis's residence? What's she doing here? And dressed like this?
Su Xiaoyu continued, "The reason why I appeared at the hunting grounds and the Imperial Stables is a long story. As for why I came to this Jing Si Pavilion... as I just said, I was 'tricked' into coming here to take the blame, but it was also something I did intentionally."
She raised her head, her eyes clear and unwavering, devoid of any flattery or scheming.
“This servant knows that empty words are not enough to prove His Majesty’s beliefs, and His Majesty will not easily believe a maid of unknown origin like me. But this servant can swear to the heavens that I have absolutely no intention of harming His Majesty or His Highness the Crown Prince! If I am lying, may I be struck by lightning!”
The murderous intent in the emperor's eyes did not dissipate, but his suspicion and disbelief deepened.
He coldly scrutinized Su Xiaoyu for a long time before slowly speaking.
"What do you know?"
Su Xiaoyu took a deep breath and truthfully replied, "This servant knows nothing. But!"
"All I know is that it's not the last moment yet, the knife isn't at my throat, the blood hasn't dried up, and hope... hasn't been completely extinguished."
Her gaze was intense, and her words were clear:
"This servant only knows that His Highness the Crown Prince, a kind and resilient person, should not have ended up being deposed and dying in depression! A person like the Third Prince should not have become the ruler of this world."
"This is not the direction the Great Chu should be heading."
Perhaps it was the last sentence that struck a chord with the emperor, or perhaps it was the sincerity and heartfelt nature of Su Xiaoyu's words from beginning to end.
Finally, the doubts in the emperor's eyes dissipated somewhat.
"Your Majesty, I am but a humble servant, and I do not understand any grand principles or sophisticated methods. But I believe that as long as a person is alive and their spirit is not dead, there is still hope for a comeback. I dare to stay here not to see Your Majesty make a fool of yourself, nor to spy on Your Majesty. I simply... want to help Your Majesty!"
After a long silence, the emperor slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and asked meaningfully:
"Oh? Then how can you help me?"
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