The young emperor asked, "Don't you also feel that the atmosphere in the car is too oppressive?"
"Ah..." As soon as Wen Wan opened her mouth, she saw Chu Nian and Jiang Bai looking over at her. She immediately felt as if several mountains were pressing down on her head, making it hard for her to breathe, and cold sweat poured down her forehead.
Chu Nian took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She didn't even react; her mind had already gone blank under the immense pressure.
The little emperor asked in surprise, "Aunt Wen, what's wrong with you again?" Can't the people in this carriage be normal?
"This servant...this servant..." Wen Wan found it hard to explain her state. Turning her head, she saw the Empress Dowager holding a handkerchief and reaching towards her forehead. Only then did she remember that the Empress Dowager seemed to have been wiping her sweat just now. Startled, she quickly reached out and took the handkerchief, saying, "Your Majesty, this servant can do it herself."
The young emperor said helplessly, "Look how scared you've made Aunt Wen." Is having a strong aura something to be proud of? Don't you even know to tone it down a bit?
Chu Nian remained silent, only looking at Jiang Bai, and inexplicably felt a little heavy-hearted: a person's personality must have undergone a great change, especially since he was originally a carefree person who didn't care about anything.
Chu Nian felt heartbroken when she thought of the child who could sleep peacefully even after being thrown into the storage space, and then looked at Jiang Bai in front of her.
Jiang Bai sat there, seemingly oblivious to Chu Nian's gaze, remaining silent and appearing to be lost in thought again.
The young emperor felt uncomfortable and sat down next to Jiang Bai, shaking his arm and saying, "Master, let's go to a restaurant when we come back, just like ordinary people do. I've never eaten out before!"
"Okay!" Jiang Bai replied in a deep voice, a bitter smile on his face. His eyes were full of doting and affection as he looked at the little emperor, and his eyes even reddened.
Chu Nian was puzzled: she remembered that the brat wasn't bisexual, but this one seemed...
She now understood why Lou Qianzong had fallen for him. The way he looked at the young emperor now, no one could resist him. It was just too intoxicating!
Seeing that Jiang Bai was so easy to talk to, the young emperor immediately seized the opportunity and asked with a smile, "Grand Tutor, do you know which restaurant in our capital is the best?"
Jiang Bai said, "I've heard that Yundu Restaurant has excellent food and drinks, and there are often performances during lunch and evening when it's full of customers."
The young emperor said excitedly, "Then let's go to Yundu Restaurant."
Half an hour later, their carriage stopped outside the gate of the Marquis of Weiwu's mansion. There were several young men in white robes with swords guarding the gate, and the tokens on their waists were engraved with the character "Ji".
Jiang Bai lifted the carriage curtain and saw this scene. He then turned to the people inside the carriage and said, "There may be people from the Ji Xuan Sect at the Marquis of Wei Wu's residence. There are disciples of the Ji Xuan Sect guarding the outside."
The young emperor said, "Did we come at the wrong time?"
Jiang Bai: "It's alright. I'll send someone to report this. I think Zhang Lie will not refuse to see Your Majesty." He then gave a meaningful smile.
The young emperor raised an eyebrow and smiled mischievously.
Chu Nian secretly rolled her eyes as she watched the interaction between the two.
Jiang Bai, that scoundrel, the moment she makes a move, he immediately guesses her intentions and swiftly takes action according to the path she intends to follow. Now, Zhang Lie and Baili Xi both believe that the young emperor is their biological son, while Zhang Qi is the son of the Empress Dowager and the late emperor.
Jiang Bai's men were stopped at the gate of the mansion by white-robed disciples of the Ji Xuan Sect. The men simply told Jiang Bai that their master had come to visit, and the white-robed disciples gestured for them to go in.
The subordinate was stopped by the gatekeeper of the Marquis of Weiwu's residence as soon as he entered. The subordinate then explained in detail that his master was Grand Tutor Jiang Bai, but did not mention that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were also in the carriage.
Upon hearing that the Grand Tutor had arrived, the doorman peeked into the carriage, confirmed it was the Jiang family's carriage, and hurriedly went inside to report to Zhang Lie.
As a prominent figure in the Xuanmen school, Zhang Lie actually looked down on many people in the palace and the court. However, given that the Grand Tutor was the emperor, who was also his son's teacher, he still personally came out to greet him.
He didn't see the Grand Tutor at the gate, but only Jiang Taifu's carriage. He was puzzled, but then he saw Jiang Taifu's subordinate wink at him. He knew that there was definitely more than just the Grand Tutor in the carriage, so he quickly went to greet the carriage.
Unexpectedly, just as they reached the carriage, the curtain was lifted from the inside, revealing the extremely handsome young face of the young emperor.
Zhang Lie was overjoyed and quickly prepared to pay his respects. But then he heard the emperor whisper, "I am traveling incognito. Lord Zhang, please do not let anyone know that I am here."
"Yes, yes, Your Majesty..." Zhang Lie was quite excited and didn't know what to say for a moment.
The emperor interrupted him, saying, "You may call me Young Master Jiang, and the Grand Tutor Young Master Jiang. Also..." He stepped aside to make way for Chu Nian behind him, "You may call her Madam, since the Empress Dowager is here too!"
Zhang Lie was initially overjoyed, but his face darkened upon seeing Chu Nian. Not wanting to show his displeasure to his son, he put on a smile when his gaze fell on the emperor and replied, "Yes." He then said, "Young Master Jiang, Eldest Young Master Jiang, and... Madam, please alight from the carriage!"
The emperor then got out of the carriage in high spirits.
Zhang Lie saw that although he was young, he was tall and handsome; compared to Zhang Qi, he was far inferior to the young emperor in both physique and appearance, so he disliked Zhang Qi even more.
Now, thinking about it carefully, he and his wife Baili Xi were both exceptionally good-looking, while Zhang Qi's appearance and physique were relatively ordinary. The couple should have been suspicious long ago. Yet, they never considered that Zhang Qi wasn't their son at all, but rather the young emperor before them.
Zhang Lie looked at the young emperor and grew increasingly fond of him. He took the initiative to strike up a conversation, saying, "Young Master Jiang, your timing is perfect. Yang Feijian, the sect leader of the Extreme Profound Sect where Madam resides, is currently in the manor. His profound energy is unfathomable; he is a top-tier figure in the entire Xuanwei Continent. Later, I... oh, I will introduce you to him. Let him examine your aptitude; perhaps he will be willing to take you as his last disciple."
Yang Feijian was Baili Xi's senior brother and had always treated Baili Xi very well. Previously, the couple had planned to have Zhang Qi become Yang Feijian's disciple, but after observing Zhang Qi, Yang Feijian only agreed to let him join the Jixuan Sect, but did not accept him as his last disciple.
Looking back now, Yang Feijian must have thought Zhang Qi's aptitude was lacking, but he didn't say so out of respect for the couple.
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