Chapter 31
Xie Ling:!!!
How could he dare to do that? Didn't he just think that the sachet looked a little familiar?
After looking around furtively for a long time, the system originally thought that he had seen something, but then he heard a chicken crowing above Xie Ling's head.
"You have made progress, Tongzi!"
"I am actually wearing the same sachet as Emperor Wu." As a result, he also has Emperor Wu's peripheral products, and they are exactly the same!
system:……
The system hesitated and looked across.
Xiao Huan was obviously annoyed by the peeping, and frowned at this time. However, the moment he saw the top of the host's head, the Emperor's expression became strange, and his annoyance strangely dissipated a little.
The system watched helplessly as the host escaped yet another disaster, and was simply amazed.
Succubus, worthy of being a succubus.
It's totally unreasonable. Even a computer can't figure out the logic.
In the early morning, Xie Ling only crowed twice before returning to normal. Xiao Huan pressed his forehead and ignored him.
In the morning, there was still vegetarian food from the mountain. After eating it for two days in a row, Xie Ling, a carnivore, couldn't help it anymore and looked up eagerly.
"Your Majesty, when are we going down the mountain?"
Xiao Huan paused for a moment and said, "Didn't you want to come out to play?"
If he hadn't brought Xie Ling out, Xie Sen would have gotten to know that damn student from the Imperial College. Xiao Huan's eyes fell.
Xie Ling coughed and said, "Well, I am worried that I might delay your business, Your Majesty."
Our dynasty holds a grand court meeting every three days, so it would be too late if we stay for another day.
Xiao Huan didn't realize that Xie Ling was a person who was so concerned about government affairs, and gave him a half-smile.
“No hurry.”
"Finish reading the account book before you go back."
Ledger?
What ledger?
Xie Ling was stunned for a moment, confused. At noon, he saw the Eagle Guard Commander Liang returned to the yard. He brought back a box from somewhere.
The ordinary wooden box was opened, and three account books were placed inside.
Xie Ling looked at His Majesty hesitantly, but Xiao Huan remained calm.
"This is my private army."
Xie Ling:!!!
Boy, is this something he can listen to?
Xie Ling swallowed his saliva and turned his eyes to the book. As expected, he saw His Majesty saying leisurely, "You guessed right. This is the account book."
These things have no clear path.
To deal with the Xiongnu, soft tactics such as internal strife are not enough, and the real tricks must be shown in the end. Xiao Huan started to reform the army as early as the end of last year, and the cavalry in his hands was specially designed to target the Xiongnu.
However, in order to avoid alerting the enemy and causing some people in the court to do bad things, he had been suppressing it. Now he didn't need to hide it in front of Xie Ling. After all, he even saw the spies he had planted in the Xiongnu yesterday, so this was not a big deal.
He naturally turned two pages and sat under the window to read it carefully.
Xie Ling looked at the account book in front of His Majesty, then looked at the sky, and his eyes went dark. He wondered how long it would take to see the result.
"Your Majesty, can I go out for a walk?"
In fact, he was quite nervous watching such a confidential matter here.
However, Xiao Huan raised his head and looked at him.
"no."
Emperor Wu rejected it without a second thought. As an emperor, he was here to look at the account books, so it was impossible for Xie Ling to go out for a rest. After he finished speaking, he remembered something and glanced at Xie Ling.
"If you have nothing to do, you can come and help me."
He pointed at the wooden box, and Wang Bao immediately reacted and handed an account book to Xie Ling.
"Thank you, Master. I will be loyal to you and serve you. It's time for you to share your worries!"
What a great opportunity! I wonder how many people would envy me for being able to help His Majesty.
Xie Ling: …
He just asked casually, why do you still need him to work? However, after Emperor Wu finished speaking, he withdrew his gaze and did not give him any room to refuse.
Xie Ling was about to say something but stopped himself, so he had to take the account book with a bitter face. He thought that fortunately it was an account book and not something with fancy words, and he could understand it, otherwise he would really cry.
Xiao Huan saw that he was standing there and it was dazzling, so he simply gave him an account book to kill time. However, when he finished checking one book, he turned around and found that Xie Ling was already looking at it seriously.
"His Majesty?"
When Wang Bao saw His Majesty looking up, he asked softly, but Xiao Huan stopped him with his hand.
He looked at Xie Ling and saw that he was writing and drawing on the paper. There was no discernible pattern to it, but it was somewhat similar to the type of gold characters above his head.
After an incense stick of time, Xie Ling rubbed his shoulders and had already turned half of the book.
Wang Bao also followed His Majesty's gaze at first, but he was also stunned as he watched.
Mr. Xie is so good at reading account books? It only took him a short time to finish half of it. One person can do the work of five people.
The more Wang Bao read, the more he admired her. Xiao Huan did not interrupt him. He had someone add more tea and pastries to Xie Ling and continued to read what he was holding. He did not look up until Xie Ling put down his pen with a click.
"Did you finish reading it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I've finished reading this one."
Xie Ling's back and waist ached from sitting there, but fortunately the account book was not too difficult and he could still understand it with his college student level.
The system felt something was wrong and asked him suspiciously.
"Aren't you a writer of melodramatic novels? How come you are so good at arithmetic?"
Xie Ling: …
ah?
"Didn't I tell you?"
"I thought you checked it out when you bound it. I majored in science in college."
system:! ! !
You act like a liberal arts student every day, but who knows you're a science student? However, the system realized that Xie Ling couldn't read ancient characters or write poems, and was out of place in the Imperial College.
Romantic melodramatic novels are his hobby!
Xie Ling didn't think there was anything wrong with it at all, and looked at His Majesty after he finished speaking.
Xiao Huan took the account book and did a quick calculation, and he knew that everything he had checked was correct. He was really surprised at this time.
This guy didn't expect that he was so good at math. He had seen officials in the Ministry of Revenue and none of them could calculate faster than him. What was even more surprising was that he didn't make any mistakes throughout the whole process.
Xiao Huan pondered for a moment and asked someone to bring him the other side of the account book.
When Xie Ling opened his eyes wide in disbelief, he said, "After the calculation, you can return to the palace later in the evening."
He paused and looked at Xie Ling.
"There's a lantern festival outside the palace tonight."
Hmmmm?
Xie Ling stopped trying to refuse and hesitated for a moment before he was shamefully caught by Emperor Wu.
It’s a lantern festival, not a serious occasion like a poetry meeting. Which modern person doesn’t want to go?
Xie Ling stared at the damn account book with hatred, as if he regarded it as his lifelong enemy, and angrily turned a page.
Xiao Huan curled the corners of his lips, and when he saw Xie Ling checking it carefully, he lowered his eyes and continued.
What he didn't tell Xie Ling was that whether he looked at the account book today or not, he was going to take him down the mountain in the evening. On the way back to the palace, they would pass by the riverside of the Lantern Festival, and if Xie Ling wanted to watch the fun, he would not refuse.
However, seeing that this guy was so proactive, he did not remind him.
After noon, Xie Ling was almost dizzy. Every time he opened his eyes or closed them, he saw dense numbers. Fortunately, after his unremitting efforts, he finally finished reading the two account books.
But when Xie Ling raised his head, he found that the usually smooth eunuch Wang was looking at him with admiration, and he couldn't help but choke.
"System, is my speed so exaggerated?"
How come Eunuch Wang is like this?
system:……
"Not really."
"It's just a little scary compared to the speed at which you usually study the Four Books and Five Classics."
Who would have thought that a person who was ignorant of the Four Books and Five Classics could be so good at arithmetic? It was like seeing a dandy suddenly change himself one day, throwing away the fan he used to wave his hands and starting to wield a sword.
Who wouldn't be horrified?
Just look at the expressions of those who knew Xie Ling. Even Xiao Huan began to seriously consider whether it was a waste of talent to just let Xie Ling stay by his side as a servant. He has always promoted people based on their talents, and he would definitely not bury Xie Ling if he went to the Ministry of Revenue according to his ability.
But it depends on what he means.
Xiao Huan paused and closed the book.
"Pack these volumes up."
The eunuch stepped forward and carefully put the account book back in place, then locked it with the key.
Xiao Huan then looked at Xie Ling.
"You have made great contributions today, but what reward do you want?"
After all, going to the Lantern Festival was on the way, and Xiao Huan felt guilty for once and asked Xie Ling about it.
When Xie Ling heard this, his vigilance suddenly rose.
Rewards, that must not be accepted! Otherwise, what if Emperor Wu mistakenly thinks that he is arrogant because of his favor?
It would be nice to go to the lantern festival.
Xiao Huan waited patiently, only to see Xie Ling's expression changing. After thinking for a while, he shook his head decisively.
"It is my duty to serve His Majesty. I, a commoner, have no other wishes."
The golden characters on his head seemed to be responding to him. Just as Xiao Huan was about to say something, he saw the golden characters muttering to themselves, "Your Majesty, I think you won't think I'm being arrogant because of your favor, right?"
Xiao Huan: ...
Does he care so much about my opinion?
Feeling strange for a moment, Xiao Huan looked at him seriously.
"I promised it myself, so I won't be suspicious."
Xie Ling was still confused when he saw His Majesty looking at him. Eunuch Wang Bao suddenly came over with a box and smiled.
Unlike the box that just contained the account book, although this box is smaller, the pattern on the box is very delicate, and it is obviously a palace product.
Xie Ling reached out to take it blankly, and heard Eunuch Wang Bao say, "Xie sir, why don't you thank me quickly?"
After being reminded, Xie Ling quickly reacted.
"Thank you for the reward, Your Majesty."
But what is this?
Before getting on the carriage in the afternoon, Xie Ling secretly opened the box. He was guessing what was inside, but when he opened it, he was surprised by the round and shiny pearls inside.
This, this, this...this is a pearl!
A box of pearls densely packed together, each one has beautiful color and is round, and they are obviously treasures at first glance.
His Majesty gave it all to him.
Xie Ling happily reached out and took one. He felt that it was good to work for Emperor Wu. You get what you work for, and you get paid right away.
Who doesn’t like this!
"system."
The dormant system suddenly heard the host calling it and thought something had happened. Then it heard the host holding the pearl say, "I used to think I had trypophobia."
"And now, I find that I don't have it anymore."
This box of densely packed pearls is proof of that!
system:……
So the host woke it up just to show off this?
The system shut down silently.
Xie Ling admired it happily for a while, and then closed the box when His Majesty's carriage came over, with one hand tucked into his sleeve.
"Your Majesty, I will lift the curtain for you."
As soon as Xiao Huan saw Xie Ling, he saw the other party's attentive face and couldn't help but remain silent for a moment.
A box of pearls has such a good effect? I didn't expect him to be so flattering. Xiao Huan was speechless.
Eunuch Wang Bao was also stunned when he saw Master Xie who had stolen his job.
Ahem, Master Xie seems a little different today...
He watched with his own eyes as Master Xie spent the entire afternoon asking about the emperor's well-being after he entered the carriage. He was even more considerate than a eunuch like him.
When His Majesty was reading, Xie Ling immediately opened the window to let in light. When His Majesty was tired of reading and took a rest, Xie Ling immediately asked, "Your Majesty, would you like some tea?"
"I'll go get a glass."
The teapot is placed on the table, which is very convenient.
Xiao Huan listened to the chattering in his ears and took a deep breath.
“No need.”
He softened his tone and glanced at Xie Ling.
"You take a rest."
Xie Ling: …
Tsk, is Your Majesty ordering him?
Okay, he listened immediately!
Xie Ling closed his eyes for a moment and leaned back against the wall of the carriage, trying to be obedient. Xiao Huan even saw that he carefully protected the pearl in his arms when he leaned back.
Xiao Huan didn't know for a moment whether he treasured the pearl so much because it was given by him, or whether he simply liked treasures. He looked at it suspiciously for a long time and twitched his mouth.
The carriage had been moving for a while, and just when Xiao Huan thought that the journey would finally be peaceful, Xie Ling suddenly revived. The corpse that had been silent for an incense stick of time suddenly opened its eyes and told him very seriously.
"Your Majesty, I love to obey orders. If you have any orders, please tell me."
"I will definitely follow through with it."
Xiao Huan, who had only half executed the previous "rest" command, said:
"Shut up!"
The intolerable Emperor Wu realized for the first time what it meant to be caught in one's own trap.
He shouldn't have given the pearl to Xie Ling.
Fortunately, the car finally wobbled down the mountain, and Xie Ling closed his mouth and diverted some of his attention.
It was still early yesterday morning when he came, and it was already the evening of the next day when he left. Xie Ling looked out the window, and from the quiet Qingyuan Temple to the familiar bustling atmosphere of the capital, he returned.
Tsk, he found that he was really not suitable for places with few people.
It would be great if it were more lively.
Xiao Huan was so annoyed that he didn't rest all the way, so he simply didn't sit in the carriage. When he arrived at Huahe in Dongfang City, he simply asked the carriage to stop.
"You guys wait here."
He ordered Wang Bao and others.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Although he was somewhat puzzled as to why His Majesty got off the carriage so early, Wang Bao did not ask any further questions. He responded with the other eunuchs and waited near the carriage.
Xiao Huan got off the car with only a few Eagle Guards who followed him secretly. Too many people in such an occasion would attract attention. His trip was not very publicized and not many people knew about it.
After Xie Ling came down, he was stunned for a moment when he saw that His Majesty was alone.
"Just the two of us, Your Majesty?"
Is this really safe?
Xiao Huan glanced at him and said, "Let's go."
Seeing His Majesty walking forward first, Xie Ling had to swallow his doubts and follow.
It was just evening, but the Lantern Festival was already bustling. Along the banks of the Flower River, there were vendors selling lanterns everywhere. Xie Ling also caught a glimpse of the vendor where he bought fried cherries last time, and couldn't help but secretly poke His Majesty.
"Your Majesty, the cherry fried food is sold in front."
Xiao Huan turned around and heard Xie Ling say, "I bought it from this store last time."
Thinking of the sweet and sour preserves that Xie Ling had fed him, Xiao Huan stopped walking. He had someone put away the bag of cherry pancakes and had never taken them out again. He lowered his eyes slightly and said, "Go buy some if you want to eat them."
As promised during the Lantern Festival, he wouldn't be so strict and not allow Xie Ling to buy anything.
Of course, this is what Xie Ling meant, but he felt a little embarrassed after His Majesty spoke.
"Your Majesty, I didn't have any money when I came out this time."
The last time he went out to buy something, he used the few coins that Xie Ling had brought with him, and after that purchase, he had nothing left. Now, after searching his body, all he had left were the large pearls that His Majesty had just bestowed upon him.
Of course it's impossible to pawn this, right?
Xie Ling looked at Emperor Wu shyly.
Xiao Huan: ...
I actually forgot that this guy has no money. Yes, he doesn't have to pay for food, clothing and housing in the palace all day, so it's hard for him to react. He reached back and took a bag of coins from the Eagle Guard and threw it to Xie Ling.
"Take it."
Looking at the heavy purse, Xie Ling's eyes lit up.
"Your Majesty, wait for me."
After he finished speaking, he bowed and quickly disappeared.
Seeing Xie Ling like a fish in water, Xiao Huan choked, but suddenly couldn't help laughing. The Eagle Guard who was hiding his identity behind him looked at His Majesty in surprise, not understanding why His Majesty suddenly laughed?
Didn’t Mr. Xie just make Your Majesty angry?
But Master Xie is really brave to leave His Majesty here alone.
Xiao Huan leaned against the tree and waited for a while. He found that this was the first time someone made him wait, but he was not very angry in such an environment.
After a while, Xie Ling, who had been jumping up and down in the market, came back.
The familiar cherry fried food was still in his hand, and this time there was also a kidney bean roll. Everything was incredibly sweet. Xiao Huan had no interest in eating it. He felt a slight pain in his teeth as he watched Xie Ling take one bite at a time.
Xie Ling felt a little regretful that he failed to present the tribute. Didn’t His Majesty like the fried cherries that had gotten cold when he brought them back to the palace that day? Why didn’t he like the fresh ones today?
Is it because you are not used to eating in public?
Xie Ling shook his head, thinking that His Majesty was concerned about his image.
As they were walking, Zhang Jing and several other students from the Imperial College came out of the East Market. Zhang Jing and his friends heard that the Lantern Festival was lively, so they came here to relax. After all, the imperial examination was coming up, and they were a little tense from studying hard at home recently. Coming out for a walk at this time was a relief.
As he was walking, Zhang Jinggang went to a stall to buy a lantern when he saw his friend suddenly exclaim "Huh?"
"What's wrong? Why are you making such a fuss?" Prince Zhang turned around while taking out the money.
Wu Shanlai shook his head, suspecting that he was seeing things.
"Why do I feel like I saw the little brother at the poetry meeting that day?"
“The back view is quite similar.”
Zhang Jing followed his sight and saw a young man in a peacock green brocade robe walking with a man who was a head taller than him and wearing a black robe with an extremely impressive aura.
The two of them had already reached Donghekou. The crowd behind them made it difficult to see clearly, but from a distance they really looked alike.
However, Zhang Jing frowned. For some reason, he felt that the person next to the little brother who looked like Zheng Daru's disciple seemed somewhat familiar.
Seeing Zhang Jing staring blankly at the figure in front of him, Wu Shanlai shook his head.
"Why do I feel like you're so concerned about that little brother?"
Wu Shanlai felt a little embarrassed that he had used all his connections to find someone but failed. But what surprised him was the disappointed expression on his brother's face.
Tsk, this is the first time he has seen Zhang Jing like this. As the only son of Duke Xin, there are countless people who admire Zhang Jing since he was a child, but this guy has never looked down on them. However, he has taken a fancy to the little brother he met at the poetry meeting that day.
But this person is a disciple of Zheng Daru, and they have no choice but to accept the truth if their teacher doesn’t reveal it.
Seeing Zhang Jing looking at the back, Wu Shanlai couldn't help but joked: "Don't look at it, it's not such a coincidence."
“It’s definitely similar.”
For some reason, Zhang Jing felt a little disappointed when he heard his friend say this.
"What are you talking about?"
He also felt that he was a little strange recently.
After coming back and thinking about it, he saw the other person drinking tea that day and went up to him rashly. The young man was stunned for a moment and handed the tea to his mouth. It was obvious that he was not tasting tea. The other party might just come to the poetry meeting to hang out.
However, he somehow felt deeply impressed by the look from the other party.
After thinking about it, I actually felt that the man's frankness was adorable, and he was different from the other scholars who maintained their demeanor.
If I don't know, I don't know. I'm not pretending at all.
Zhang Jing shook his head and when he looked again, the figure in front of him was gone.
"Forget it, we will meet each other if we are destined to do so."
"let's go."
Wu Shanlai nodded and no longer paid attention to the front.
The two of them didn't know that because the emperor was on a private tour, there were many Eagle Guards in the area. When the two of them mentioned Master Xie, the Eagle Guards quietly cast their eyes over. But how could two noble family members who had never been to the battlefield discover it?
The Eagle Guard calmly wrote down the conversation between the two, and after a while he respectfully walked to the side of His Majesty.
Xie Ling finished eating and went to queue up to buy something else. Xiao Huan raised his eyes and saw the Eagle Guard coming.
"Your Majesty, there were two suspicious people following behind you just now. After I approached and checked, I found that they were the son of the Duke of Xin and the son of the Marquis of Zhongyong."
The Prince of Xinguo...
Xiao Huan remembered that he was the one who publicly exposed the Dongshan School at a poetry meeting.
He paused for a moment and asked, "Did he recognize my identity?"
It is possible that the young man had seen him at the poetry meeting that day.
The Eagle Guard shook his head and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Those two people only saw your back and didn't recognize your Majesty."
"It seems like I recognized Master Xie."
The Eagle Guard repeated the conversation between the two word for word, and Xiao Huan frowned slightly after listening.
Looking for Xie Ling... He suddenly remembered that a few days ago, Xie Ling told him that there were students from the Imperial College who wanted to make friends with him. Could it be these two people?
A feeling of displeasure suddenly rose in his heart. When Xiao Huan heard that Zhang Jing was so obsessed with Xie Ling, his face darkened.
"We just met once, why do you miss me so much?"
His Majesty's voice was cold and the Eagle Guard lowered his head and dared not speak.
Xiao Huan was about to say something when a voice suddenly sounded in his ears.
"His Majesty."
Xie Ling came back from buying sesame cakes. Seeing the Eagle Guard suddenly coming over, he thought something had happened and looked around vigilantly. Xiao Huan stopped talking and asked the Eagle Guard to leave. Then he saw Xie Ling blinking.
"Um, is your Majesty okay?"
"Nothing."
Xiao Huan glanced at the thing in his hand, and the next moment, Xie Ling suddenly pulled his sleeve with great interest.
"Your Majesty, over there, I found something good!"
He was lucky. When he just went over to queue up, he found a good stall. He could even make lanterns by hand. Isn't this DIY on the spot?
After taking a look at the finished product next to him, Xie Ling immediately ran over to find Emperor Wu.
Buying lanterns is not as fun as making your own. Your Majesty must have never tried it, right?
It was also the first time that Xiao Huan had seen something like this made by himself. After being pulled over by Xie Ling, he took a look at the materials on the table.
"Sir, would you two like to try it?"
"It's a rare opportunity to have a good time during the Lantern Festival, so it doesn't matter if we don't do it well."
Xie Ling was already eager to make a move, and Xiao Huan did not object when he saw this. After a slight nod, Xie Ling promptly paid the money.
"Your Majesty?"
Xie Ling was just about to speak when he saw that the crowd was so crowded that he couldn't reveal his identity.
Xiao Huan glanced at him.
"Just call me Sir."
Xie Ling nodded: "Shall we take turns painting?"
The lanterns are all painted with figures, but it is difficult for people to draw themselves accurately, so most of the paintings are rotated. Xie Ling naturally looked at His Majesty.
Xiao Huan paused for a moment. He never liked the fact that even the court painters did not leave any portraits of him. However, when he met Xie Ling's eyes, perhaps because the atmosphere today was just right, Xiao Huan picked up the pen.
"Why not have a competition to see who can draw faster."
Xie Ling agreed immediately. Let's compete. He was the graffiti king of kindergarten and even won an award. The system watched Wudi pick up the pen and ponder for a while, then sketched Xie Ling's appearance in his mind and wrote bit by bit.
Xie Ling stared at Emperor Wu for a long time, then started writing wildly.
Xie Ling certainly can't draw fine brushwork, but he can draw modern emoticons. At the beginning, my favorites were filled with all of them.
——A Q-version man with three heads and a handsome face appeared on the lantern paper.
The Eagle Guard waiting nearby accidentally took a glance and then looked at His Majesty in shock.
Xiao Huan hadn't realized anything was wrong yet. When he finished a perfect portrait and stopped painting, he saw Xie Ling picking up his painting with great satisfaction.
Da Gan has always emphasized that painting comes from the heart. Although painting is not entirely related to sentiment, it can still reveal something. Xiao Huan paused and was a little curious about what he was like in Xie Ling's mind.
The other party admires me so much, that image...
Just as he was thinking about it, Xiao Huan saw the portrait that Xie Ling was holding up as if to seek credit.
For a moment, Emperor Wu's face froze.
Xiao Huan looked at the fat round ball in front of him with suspicion and disbelief.
"Where are my long legs?"
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