Chapter 23 The Emperor's Summoning
"The Emperor summons you. Come with me to the palace." Guo Jia magically produced a set of soft armor for me.
Looking at the soft armor in his hand, which was no different from that of the guards in the manor, I was completely confused. "Wasn't the Emperor summoning Cao Cao? What am I supposed to do there?"
"If you don't go, I'm afraid the Prime Minister will get upset," Guo Jia said with a somewhat helpless smile.
A sullen prime minister? What a strange combination of words. I glanced at the carefree fellow and resignedly accepted the soft armor.
"Disguise yourself as a guard and follow Cao Cao into the palace? But... is it permissible to bring guards into the palace?" No matter how bad history may be, how could the absolute authority of the emperor have ever allowed his subjects to bring guards to meet him?
“No problem.” Guo Jia nodded.
I was slightly puzzled, but I still changed my clothes and got into the carriage with Guo Jia and Cao Cao.
The axle creaked and groaned as it turned, and Aman sat opposite me, staring intently at me.
"Don't look at me, listen to what the fortune teller is saying." I rolled my eyes at him impatiently.
"Prime Minister, once you enter the palace, do not speak casually. When the Emperor speaks to you, simply nod. If he asks you a question, just ask back, 'According to the Emperor, what should be done?'" Guo Jia said softly.
"Why?" Aman asked curiously.
I was startled and looked at Guo Jia, "Haven't you explained your situation to him yet?"
“The Prime Minister can’t remember anything we’re talking about right now, and there’s not enough time,” Guo Jia said. “The Emperor is in such a hurry to summon you that he must have heard something.”
I remained silent, then turned to look at Cao Cao, "Tell me, 'What should His Majesty think?'"
I don't know why Guo Jia would conceal Cao Cao's amnesia from the emperor, but I know it must be related to Cao Cao's safety. There's an old saying, "Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger"—a slight misstep could cost you your life. I trust Guo Jia, and I believe he will help Cao Cao.
"What should Your Majesty think?" Aman nodded and obediently repeated.
"No, it should have a slightly more imposing tone, using a rhetorical question." Guo Jia shook his head.
Aman paused for a moment, gestured, then suddenly his face darkened, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly. "In Your Majesty's opinion... what should be done?" he said softly, his thin lips curving into a habitual smile as he finished speaking.
Looking at him, I was stunned, feeling that this version of Cao Cao was extremely unfamiliar.
That day, he was riding on horseback and I was standing below. When he said "sixty strokes of the cane," he looked just like this, which was terrifying.
"Xiaoxiao, how is it? How is it?" Aman asked with a smile, pulling my hand.
I stared at him, completely bewildered.
"Very good, Your Excellency the Prime Minister has done a very good job." Guo Jia coughed lightly and praised.
The carriage stopped, and following Guo Jia's advice, I got off first and walked alongside another guard behind the carriage.
With my head down, I followed the carriage and entered the palace gate.
The high palace walls were very oppressive, quite different from the magnificent palace I had imagined. Although they were imposing and solemn, they were so oppressive that it was difficult to even breathe.
After passing through several palace gates, Guo Jia stopped, and a palace servant stepped forward to lead the way.
I followed Cao Cao and Guo Jia with my head down until we entered the main hall, and no one stopped me.
The vast hall was eerily silent. I stood quietly behind Aman with my head down, not daring to look up.
The one sitting in the main hall is the emperor.
The chosen one of heaven, the ruler of a nation, who holds the power of life and death, can instill awe in me and prevent me from acting recklessly with a single sentence: "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king."
It's rather strange that a term I'd only ever seen in history books is now appearing vividly before my eyes.
"Prime Minister Cao, how have you been?" A clear, gentle voice finally broke the deathly silence of the hall.
I clenched my fist and realized that my palms were sweaty and slippery, which felt uncomfortable.
I glanced at Cao Cao, who nodded slightly as Guo Jia had instructed.
A chill ran through me. Was this considered a grave act of disrespect? But... was that voice really the Emperor's?
In my mind, an emperor should be a serious old man. What's even more terrifying is that such an old man has the power of life and death, comparable to the King of Hell. If he wants you to die at midnight, he will not let you live until dawn... However, the voice just now was clearly very young.
I regret once again not having properly studied history.
I quietly looked up and gazed at the main hall.
When I saw clearly who was sitting in the main hall, I stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Could that person be the emperor?
He appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, dressed in a wide-sleeved dragon robe with a black background and red trim, embroidered with golden dragons poised to soar into the clouds. He should have exuded an imposing aura, but instead, he possessed a strikingly handsome face with deep-set features and a slightly pale complexion, as if he had never seen sunlight. He had beautiful eyes with long, slightly curled eyelashes, but those eyes always seemed veiled by a mist, hazy and indistinct, making them difficult to see clearly. Despite his striking features, those eyes softened his features, making him appear as gentle as a deer.
Could someone like that really... become an emperor?
"Prime Minister, I heard you were injured," the Emperor said, seemingly concerned.
Cao Cao nodded slightly, still looking serious and expressionless.
"Have those who injured the Prime Minister been apprehended?" the Emperor asked. "How should they be punished?"
"In Your Majesty's opinion... what should be done?" Aman asked in a measured tone, his thin lips slightly raised.
Those misty eyes deepened slightly before returning to normal.
The emperor rose and descended from the hall with the utmost elegance, slowly walking to Aman's side.
"The jade pendant worn by the Prime Minister is quite peculiar." With a slight shift in his gaze, the Emperor noticed the jade pendant worn by Cao Cao at his waist.
I froze slightly, inwardly cursing. That was the jade I bought when I exonerated Cao Cao that day. It was very cheap. I never expected that Cao Cao would wear it all the time. How could a dignified prime minister wear such jade?
"It was a gift from Xiaoxiao," Aman said with a smile.
This was an unexpected line from Guo Jia, and I broke out in a cold sweat. Guo Jia stood to the side, but didn't know how to speak.
"Xiaoxiao?" The emperor was taken aback.
"Hmm." Aman turned around and pulled me.
I was so frightened I almost fainted. I quickly knelt down on one knee and asked in a rough voice, "What are your orders, Your Excellency Prime Minister?"
Aman fell silent.
"Your Majesty, please allow us to take our leave." Guo Jia's voice rang out at the opportune moment.
"Hmm, you may step down." The emperor's voice returned to its clear, gentle, and soothing tone.
I bowed as I rose, feeling as if I had been granted a pardon, and quickly turned around to leave with Cao Cao and Guo Jia.
Feeling the gaze behind me, I instinctively turned around, then froze for a moment. Those eyes, which had been misty before, were now sharp as if they could pierce through me, and that gaze was fixed on me.
In an instant, it returned to its gentle and harmless appearance, so quickly that one almost thought it was an illusion.
I didn't dare linger for even a moment longer and hurriedly followed Guo Jia out of the palace.
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