Chapter 05
Xie Ling also felt that this tea was too exaggerated.
Whose midnight snack has this effect?! Is it so effective to stay up late that you don’t care about your life?
The weak male's eyes ached, his mind was clear, and he just felt like his life was in danger.
What a mistake, what a mistake. He only remembered to block out the pain, but forgot to block out the mental torture. I heard that in ancient times there was a special punishment that deprived people of sleep. Could he have been tortured all night last night?
Xie Ling subconsciously wanted to call the system. Knowing his thoughts, the system quickly added: "Opening the pain aura for you has exhausted all the energy of this system. You don't need to think about anything else."
Xie Ling: ...I haven't said it yet, how do you know what I'm thinking?
Regretfully retracting the little trick that had just arisen in his mind, he turned to look at the eunuch who came in. If he remembered correctly, this was the chief eunuch beside Emperor Wu. Why was this guy coming here so early in the morning?
Wang Bao was also confused. The emperor had gone to court, and before leaving, he specifically instructed him to come and take Master Xie to wash up, and then take him to the back hall to wait for his return.
No one has ever received this treatment in all these years, but this person... is not a concubine in the harem nor anyone else, but a male beauty presented by Zhao Yongnian who had already died...
Wang Bao, who knew that His Majesty had never liked gay men, was completely bewildered when he heard this order. Could it be that this Master Xie really asked His Majesty to make an exception?
Xie Ling had no idea what the famous first eunuch of Da Gan opposite him was thinking. After bathing and washing himself in a daze, he left the back hall where he had stayed for two days for the first time.
first!
This was the first time! Xie Ling almost missed the fresh air outside, but the next second after he passed by, he was stuffed into another bedroom.
This bedroom was obviously more luxurious and noble than the palace where he was tied to the chair before. He could feel the luxury just by staying inside.
Xie Ling stared at the priceless carpet and the luminous cup opposite him in amazement.
Rich, really too rich! Is this the bedroom where Emperor Wu lives? Apart from the other party's bedroom, Xie Ling couldn't think of any other place that could be so wasteful without being vulgar. I just don't know what His Majesty is going to do this time by moving him here?
Xie Ling's hands and legs were rarely tied, but he was standing freely. However, he knew without thinking that there were probably Eagle Guards hiding in the dark in this bedroom, and he would be finished if he moved.
He looked at the approved novel in his mind and simply thought of the next chapter. He waited and waited for an unknown amount of time before a bell rang and the eunuch next to him looked outside and said, "The court is dismissed."
"Prepare the meal."
Although it was called preparing meals, the food had actually been prepared long ago, and they were just waiting to be served immediately after Xiao Huan left the court. Xie Ling really didn't know what he was doing standing here. The eunuchs and palace servants around him were busy, and he was the only one standing there like a piece of wood, blocking the way.
Xie Ling: "Well, if you put a light bulb on my head, I can be a street lamp."
The system was chilled by this joke: ...
A few minutes later, the emperor's carriage finally returned. Xie Ling let out a sigh of relief, and watched Wang Bao kneel down quickly, followed by a "thump".
The sound was so loud that after the "bang", the palace maid next to him looked at him in shock, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
Xiao Huan discovered that even without the golden light above his head, Xie Ling was still the most conspicuous person in the crowd. He had never seen anyone like him before in his life.
Xiao Huan took a deep breath and pretended not to see it. He wanted to eat. After being helped by the eunuchs to take off the dragon crown and tidy it up, he sat on the chair. The breakfast was served one after another.
After all, he was the emperor. Even though he admitted that he did not like to enjoy himself, there were still thirty dishes for breakfast, and this was the number he had cut down. The meals of his father and grandfather were even more luxurious.
However, just thirty breakfast dishes made Xie Ling dumbfounded.
How could there be so many and they were all different? He glanced at them secretly and felt that being an emperor was such a blessing.
But can you finish eating so much?
He thought he was being very careful in his sneak peek, but suddenly there was another pair of gazes looking at him among the palace maids who were all keeping their heads down and keeping silent. Xiao Huan must be blind to not notice it.
How dare this guy be so disrespectful to his superior? !
Xiao Huan looked at him expressionlessly, and Xie Ling immediately pretended to be a background board without revealing that it was him who was peeking at him.
System: ...What a trick to cover up one's own mistakes.
"Host, have you forgotten that Emperor Wu is very skilled in martial arts?"
In other words, he does know martial arts, so it would be strange if you weren't discovered since you are so obvious.
Xie Ling twitched his lips and said, "Just let him find out. He has already started to torture me. Should I be afraid of being seen if I take a peek?"
"I bowed my head just now only because I saw how powerful he was, and I just wanted to give him face before I died." The system looked at the shameless host and immediately started bickering mode.
After a few breaths, Xiao Huan was disturbed by a stranger standing next to him. He felt uncomfortable eating and simply put his chopsticks aside.
"His Majesty?"
Wang Bao was startled, thinking that today's meal was not to His Majesty's taste. Just as he was about to kneel down and apologize, he heard His Majesty's voice.
"You, come here."
He pointed behind Wang Bao and his eyes immediately fell on Xie Ling.
Ahem, so it was because of Master Xie. Wang Bao understood and shut his mouth.
Sure enough, he heard His Majesty ask, "Have you had breakfast this morning?"
Xie Ling, who was force-fed a dish of snacks and strong tea last night, shook his head. He had just finished updating when he was dragged here after washing up. How could he have time to eat?
Xiao Huan naturally knew that he didn't want to be stared at while eating, so he simply said, "Sit down and eat with me."
"Bring an extra set of bowls and chopsticks."
As soon as he finished speaking, the eunuch immediately placed the dishes and chopsticks in place.
Xie Ling had no idea how great an honor he had received. Due to his obsessive-compulsive disorder, Xiao Huan seldom gave meals to others. Even for the several Hanlin scholars who worked in the Wannian Pavilion all year round, Xiao Huan would only ask the imperial kitchen to prepare something as a reward at mealtime, and he never ate at the same table with others.
This is the first time.
Xiao Huan didn't know what was wrong with him. He was annoyed by being stared at, so he suddenly asked people to sit down. When he came to his senses, his face turned cold again.
Xie Ling was amazed at the changing expression of Emperor Wu. Wasn't he too unpredictable? He was the one who asked him to sit down, and he was the one who had a cold expression when he sat down.
Xie Ling hesitated for a moment, thinking that as a dying man, he really didn't need to care about the emperor's expression. He should just eat. Who knows if this will be his last meal.
He was tortured so much last night that it would be a waste if he didn't have a royal meal!
Xiao Huan frowned and thought that this guy would be uneasy and kneel down to apologize. Who knew that the next moment, this guy lowered his head and drank a mouthful of porridge in front of him as if he didn't see it, and by the way, he picked up a piece of roasted duck meat with chopsticks and ate it with satisfaction.
Eat...and go in.
Xie Ling didn't feel embarrassed at all in front of everyone.
Wang Bao was so impressed that he said, "Didn't you see that His Majesty was looking at you?"
Mr. Xie, how dare you continue eating? !
Xie Ling: ...Xie Ling thought this imperial meal was really delicious, much better than last night’s bitter tea banquet, and he ate an extra mouthful without noticing.
The air was silent, no one dared to stop Xie Ling, they could only watch him eat and drink. Xiao Huan had no appetite at first, but seeing the person eating so deliciously, he strangely felt like eating too.
Upon seeing this, the eunuchs immediately reached out to serve the dishes, specifically picking out those that Master Xie had not touched.
Xiao Huan paused, picked up his chopsticks and continued eating, but he felt that the food was not as delicious as that guy's.
After finishing the meal in a strange atmosphere, Xie Ling rinsed his mouth and thought that it was time to get down to business. He didn't know what the Emperor would interrogate him about, or whether he would use him as bait to lure the nobles in the capital? After two days of deep thinking, Xie Ling thought that the reason why he was not executed immediately but kept alive was probably because he was still useful.
Your Majesty must want to use him for fishing.
Well, how should we put it? Should we borrow this useless playboy from a few marquisates to make hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to fill the military treasury?
Xie Ling thought back to the original owner's family...All he could say was that, except for the original owner who was ambitious and wanted to be a treacherous villain, everyone else had their own merits, and if he looked closely, they were all people who could be exiled.
Xie Ling waited patiently, but saw Xiao Huan looking at him again after washing his hands elegantly.
"Are you full?"
"Um."
Xie Ling nodded subconsciously and was about to say "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty" when he heard Xiao Huan speak.
"Bring me the Spring and Autumn Annals."
Xie Ling: You read right after eating. That’s awesome! You’re worthy of being the king of reading.
The next moment, he heard the emperor say, "Give it to him."
"Turn to page ten."
ah?
Xie Ling was stuffed with a book in his hand in a daze. He hadn't reacted when he turned to the tenth page. It was not until Wang Bao pulled his hand up that he realized what Xiao Huan wanted him to do.
Damn, it seems that after eating a meal, you have to raise a book! He said that there is no such a cheap thing.
Xiao Huan knew what he was thinking at a glance. He thought about it for a while. He hadn't rested all night and was too lazy to go to the side hall to monitor Xie Ling again. He simply asked him to come to the bedroom and stand in front of him with the book in his hands.
He relaxed and lay on the couch to watch without having to stare at the other person's head, which was a headache. And he was the emperor, so wasn't it natural for him to do this?
After half leaning on the couch, Xiao Huan naturally looked towards the top of Xie Ling's head.
Xie Ling thought that the other party was reading the book in his hand, which he held up silently at this time. He once again witnessed the enjoyment of the feudal emperor, who didn't even have to turn the pages of the book himself.
Xie Ling cursed in his heart, but under Xiao Huan's gaze, the plot that had come to an abrupt end last time finally continued.
As he expected, after a start, the poster diagnosed something different.
But even so, Xiao Huan still paused for a moment. Even though he had thought that something was wrong, he had never expected such an unexpected answer!
"——It's over, my family. I must be too nervous and hallucinating. Otherwise, how come I was the only one who diagnosed that His Majesty was poisoned when so many colleagues said that he was fine?"
"Did I drink alcohol while on duty today? That's not right. I don't usually drink."
"In a split second, I used my poor brain to think: This must be a conspiracy!"
Conspiracy, what conspiracy? Xiao Huan's tiredness immediately disappeared and his brows furrowed. He felt a buzz in his head and was awakened by this result.
His eyes fell on Xie Ling's face, but the person opposite him was staring blankly at the curtains, unaware of the turmoil in his heart.
How could the emperor be poisoned in the imperial palace?
Xiao Huan speculated all kinds of possibilities in his mind, and in an instant he started to speculate on the conspiracy of everyone around him. The veins on the back of his hand holding the teacup bulged.
Xie Ling just felt his hands were sore.
Have you finished reading? Can you turn the page now? If he doesn't turn the page, his hand will cramp. While no one is paying attention, Xie Ling secretly changes his arm, instantly waking Xiao Huan from his conspiracy theory.
Let's wait and see whether there is any problem with the diagnosis made by the imperial physician, the "OP". Maybe it's just a false alarm.
He calmed himself down and read the next page: "Alas, it's a pity that there is no chance for the host to see me again for a second time."
"You're kidding. It's a great opportunity to diagnose the emperor's pulse once, and you want to do it a second time."
"You thought it was a bargain at the market, a buy one get one free offer as a thank you for your patronage."
"Forget it, this matter is destined to remain an unsolved mystery."
Xiao Huan: ...
Why let it go? Why is it an unsolved mystery?!
Who didn't let you come for a second consultation?
If you express your doubts, will I kill you on the spot?
Xiao Huan choked on his breath and his face turned pale. Thinking carefully, this was indeed something he might do. It was normal for the imperial physician to pretend not to know in the uncertain situation.
Pursing his lips irritably, Xie Ling only felt Xiao Huan looking at him gloomily for a long time, and then continued reading "Spring and Autumn Annals".
Xie Ling: Didn’t I just secretly replace my arm? Is it so scary?
Xiao Huan just waved his hands tiredly, thinking that this was an unsolved case, but a turning point suddenly occurred.
"——The host originally planned to keep a low profile, but who knew that the accident would come so unexpectedly."
Wait, what does this mean...
Xiao Huan, who was accustomed to overthinking, sat up straighter imperceptibly and wanted to continue reading.
However, the next moment, hope rose and then fell, the familiar "Today's update has ended" appeared, and the next page came to an abrupt end again?
For the first time in his life, Emperor Wu, who was a master of both Confucianism and Legalism, wanted to swear!
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