Chapter 56
What?
Is he scared? Obviously not.
Xie Ling immediately said stubbornly: "I'm not afraid, Your Majesty is overthinking, hahaha."
He blinked slightly and changed the subject in an instant: "It just feels like it's getting late at night, Your Majesty, maybe you should rest."
"Then I won't bother you anymore."
When Xie Ling said this, his heart was beating "bang bang bang" out of inexplicable nervousness. He was clearly just paying his respects and leaving. He didn't even know why he was so nervous. He just looked at His Majesty with his eyes pretending to be calm.
Xiao Huan stared at him for a while and raised his eyebrows.
"Go back."
What?
Oh no, His Majesty asked him to go back.
Are you okay?
Xie Ling's heart slowly fell back into his stomach, his eyes fell on his wrist, and he saw that His Majesty had withdrawn his hand.
"If you want to watch a play tomorrow, come to Qianyuan Hall."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Xie Ling went back in a daze, and he didn't understand what His Majesty meant. Why did he feel a little different today?
After taking a bath, he lay on the couch, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He placed his hand on his heart and breathed a sigh of relief.
What’s going on? It’s so weird!
Xiao Huan waited until Xie Ling left before he calmed down and finished the cup of cold tea.
The heat in his body had not yet subsided, and at this moment he remembered the guy's red ears when he held Xie Ling. After a while, this scene was inexplicably imprinted in his mind.
…
The next day, just as Xiao Huan had said, there was some fun stuff going on.
Yesterday, the Prince of Zhou and others were detained in the Imperial Ancestral Temple in a swift and decisive manner. Some people could not help but stand up during the morning court session. After all, there were too many people involved in this incident. It was not just one or two people, but nearly half of the royal family was involved.
The law does not hold everyone responsible. If everyone were really dealt with... it would not look good.
The court officials murmured in their hearts, some unsure whether His Majesty really intended to punish severely or just let it go gently and wait for a way out.
But they didn't expect that His Majesty would not only punish him severely this time, but also be ruthless.
As soon as someone stood up, he was punished together.
Xiao Huan glanced around and raised his eyes calmly: "If there are still people from your family who want to accompany King Zhou and others, please stand up and let me see."
After hearing these words, the whole court fell silent. Everyone immediately understood what His Majesty meant and became well behaved.
It was not until the end of the court that the courtiers, wiping off their cold sweat, left in small groups. Some were glad that they had not spoken just now. As for the unlucky guy who spoke up, it was only natural that he had bet wrong on the emperor's intention. Why did he make a fuss at this time? Did he think that there would be something to discuss with the emperor once he calmed down?
What kind of person is His Majesty? When has His Majesty ever changed his ways? Several people shook their heads and showed no sympathy for him.
Xiao Huan was too lazy to pay attention to that group of civil officials. He had just returned to Qianyuan Hall when he saw a letter being sent in from outside the palace.
"Where did you come from?"
Wang Bao bowed his head and said, "It was sent from the tomb of the late emperor. It should be the handwritten letter of Empress Dowager Sun."
Now that King Zhou had gotten into trouble, it was clear that she could no longer be helped, so Queen Mother Sun also had to make a decision.
Xiao Huan took a look and said, "That's not unexpected."
He had no interest in this, but he stayed because he thought Xie Ling seemed very curious about it.
…
When Xie Ling woke up in the morning, he still had two dark circles under his eyes.
So rare!
This was a rare case of insomnia for him. He tossed and turned all night but couldn't fall asleep. He rubbed his eyes and looked in the mirror, feeling that he looked as haggard as a dead ghost.
After the system went online, everyone was shocked to see Xie Ling like this.
"What's wrong with you?" What happened when it was gone?
"Did the Emperor torture the host?"
Xie Ling: …
What on earth is this guy thinking about?
dirty!
"No." He looked at the system resentfully.
"I have insomnia."
The system was even more shocked when it heard this. How could this host who fell asleep as soon as he came home every day, as if possessed by the god of sleep, still suffer from insomnia? Before, when Emperor Wu had trouble sleeping every night, this guy slept soundly, but now he suffers from insomnia?
Its expression seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Xie Ling lay on the couch, speechless and in pain.
"So this is what insomnia is like."
system:……
"Host, you arranged your study time recently anyway, do you want to catch up on some sleep?"
I am a little afraid of the host who is like a vengeful ghost, so the system makes careful suggestions.
Xie Ling also wanted to sleep, but he couldn't. And thinking about what His Majesty said last night that there might be a follow-up today, he felt a little entangled.
Should I go or not?
Normally, Xie Ling wouldn't have thought about so many things. When he heard there was something exciting to watch and melons to eat, he immediately took his small stool and went there.
But now... the alarm bell in his head seemed to be reminding him of something. When he thought of what happened to His Majesty last night, Xie Ling became a little hesitant.
"Tongzi, do you think I should go or not?" the man who had been covered with the quilt for a long time asked in a muffled voice.
system:……?
"How should I know that?"
"But I don't think you can bear it." The system comprehensively analyzed Xie Ling's current state and chose to tell the truth. How could the host bear this kind of thing? The host does not have such strong self-control!
There was silence in the air for a while, and Xie Ling was choked.
It seems so, he can't bear it at all, so why bother? After all the hesitation, the final result is the same, just get up.
Xie Ling gritted his teeth, got up and took a shower. After changing his clothes, he looked in the mirror again. When he saw the two blue circles under his eyes, the corners of his mouth twitched.
Forget it, Your Majesty won’t notice it, right?
In Qianyuan Hall, Xiao Huan was not surprised that Xie Ling came today. After hearing the report, he looked up and let the person in. However, when the other party entered the door, he glanced at him with a slightly surprised look.
Did you have insomnia last night?
He raised his eyebrows slightly, and suddenly found that this guy seemed to be good at talking. He imagined me saying those bold words every day in his mind, but as soon as I approached, this guy got nervous first.
It turns out that I am not the only one who suffers from insomnia.
He felt strangely happy for a moment, but the next moment, he felt a little annoyed when he saw the dark circles under the guy's eyes. He put down his pen and said:
"Wang Bao."
"His Majesty."
Wang Bao beside him bent down slightly, wondering what instructions His Majesty had.
"Go to the Imperial Hospital and get some medicine."
medicine?
Who is sick?
Wang Bao was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and looked at Master Xie. When he saw the blue marks on Master Xie's eyes, he suddenly understood and respectfully stepped back to get the medicine.
Xie Ling didn't expect that the medicine was for him. After looking around in confusion, he didn't find out who was sick.
Well, after the experience of being caught by His Majesty last time when he suddenly approached, Xie Ling was a little afraid to approach without reason. At this time, he could only wonder: "Your Majesty is not feeling well?"
"Yeah." Xiao Huan responded indifferently.
"come over."
When Xie Ling came forward, he saw that besides a pile of memorials, there was another object on the emperor's desk. He didn't know what it was.
"This is?"
Xiao Huan raised his eyes and looked at him: "The secret letter from Empress Dowager Sun."
"Aren't you curious? Pick it up and have a look."
As expected, Xie Ling was tempted to watch the show. This was the original document of the historical rivalry between Emperor Gan Wu and Empress Dowager Sun. It was extremely precious. How could he justify his trip through time if he didn't take a look at this major historical event?
Xie Ling raised his head as he picked up the secret letter from Empress Dowager Sun:
"By the way, Your Majesty, is there anyone asking for mercy at the morning court today?"
Your Majesty’s attitude should have been made clear outside the Taimiao yesterday. Who else is so stubborn?
Xiao Huan sneered: "There are a few censors with some family background who want to use me to improve their reputation."
Interrogating the jailer in front of the Taimiao and arresting King Zhou and others in public on the anniversary of the late emperor's death, any of these events could not be more outrageous in the eyes of the Imperial Censor, who always liked to preach etiquette.
Therefore, after calming down and thinking about it, there were a few people who wanted to leave their names in history books. After all, in their opinion, the victim of this incident was only Prince Cheng, and Prince Cheng had never been liked by His Majesty, so it shouldn't be a big deal for him to stand up and say something, right?
It’s a pity that I fell into a trap this time.
Xie Ling was dumbfounded after hearing this: "Is there anyone in the court with such low sensitivity?"
This is obviously not a case of poisoning, right? The old man knew that there was something behind the poisoning, and someone dared to get involved, it was not as simple as risking his life.
Xiao Huan: "Duke Ningguo, Censor Chen and others can see that I want the royal family to completely withdraw from the court, and I am preparing for that event in advance."
"But those old foxes pretended not to know."
"Smart people can see it, only fools jump out at this time."
Their eyes met, and after Xie Ling heard what His Majesty had said, he suddenly reacted.
Wait, why is he talking about state affairs with Your Majesty here?
Is this something a commoner like him can participate in?
He held the memorial in his hand and said hesitantly, "Your Majesty, is this really something I can read?"
Or let it go.
Xiao Huan stared at him and suddenly sneered.
"Want me to read it to you?"
Xie Ling: …
That's not necessary. How dare you do that? This is even more daring than reading a secret memorial.
Well, think about it carefully. His Majesty has already spoken, so it shouldn’t be a big deal for him to take a look, right?
Xie Ling calmed himself and curiously opened the memorial, wanting to see what the empress dowager would say.
After an incense stick of time, Xie Ling finally understood after reading the whole article.
The Queen Mother is now at war with the Prince of Zhou and others.
The two groups blamed each other and said they knew nothing about the matter.
Not only that, it was not enough to just say it, the Queen Mother Sun also made a gesture and specially handed over all the manpower she had accumulated in the past few years, although she felt that His Majesty might have known about it for a long time.
"Your Majesty, what is your plan to do?" Xie Ling blinked and looked up.
Xiao Huan sneered: "Don't worry about it."
He paused for a moment and asked, "Will the King of Zhou be able to resist attacking the Queen Mother?"
In order to survive, Xiao Huan did not look down upon those members of the royal family.
But this is exactly what he wanted to see.
When he collected the memorial, Wang Bao, who had gone out to get medicine, finally came back, breaking the atmosphere in the hall. He held up a palace umbrella and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, thank you, Master. It's raining outside now."
Every autumn rain brings a chill. Winter will come soon after today’s rain.
"No wonder, I thought it was so cold." Xie Ling touched his arm and yawned.
Unconsciously, he had traveled through time for such a long time. He had not felt it before, but today, after hearing what Eunuch Wang said, he suddenly came to his senses. Time passed so quickly. However, "Did Eunuch Wang bring the medicine?"
Wang Bao nodded and stepped forward to present the medicine to His Majesty. The next moment, Xie Ling saw His Majesty Emperor Wu open the jade bottle and look over.
"come over."
Um?
Is this for him? He was stunned for a moment, then saw His Majesty looking at him. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over slowly.
Unlike the previous time when he read the memorial, Xie Ling felt something was wrong again. This change in feeling was very strange, but he was keenly aware of it.
By this time, Eunuch Wang had already gone back to light the stove.
When Xie Ling was about one meter away, he stopped and said awkwardly, "Your Majesty, how about I do it myself?"
Xiao Huan glanced at him and sneered: "Why, didn't you apply medicine to me before?"
"Only you can paint it, but I can't?"
When did this happen?
Xie Ling froze for a moment, then realized that this had happened. After watching the wild boar, he saw that His Majesty was injured, and he did apply the medicine to His Majesty. But he was not so nervous when he applied the medicine to His Majesty. Why was His Majesty applying the medicine to him so strange?
Yes, weird. Xie Ling searched for a long time before finding this word, and he felt complicated.
He blinked slightly, hardly daring to look directly at the person opposite him.
Xiao Huan didn't say anything else, but just stood up and walked in front of him.
A little closer, the man who was a head taller than him lowered his eyes slightly, seemed to look at his eyes with bruises, and said inexplicably.
"Close your eyes."
Xie Ling closed his eyes obediently, and couldn't help but make a joke to ease the embarrassment.
"Your Majesty, please be careful not to get it in my eyes."
But the next moment, he subconsciously stopped talking when a hand clamped his jaw.
The two were only a few feet apart. Xie Ling's eyelashes were blinking rapidly. He heard the person in front of him whisper, "Aren't you afraid that I might hurt my eyes?"
"Why are you blinking so fast?"
Xiao Huan paused for a moment and said, "I will move more slowly."
Xiao Huan applied the ointment with a faint fragrance to the bottom of his eyes, and then he said: "This is a secret medicine from the Imperial Hospital, and the ingredients are very precious."
Xie Ling stopped moving.
"But does the Imperial Hospital also have this kind of medicine to relieve eye pain?" He thought that the Imperial Hospital was full of doctors who treated stomachaches and physical discomforts.
Xiao Huan glanced at him and said: "The previous emperor also had concubines, so he naturally had things for beauty and skin care."
Oh, I see.
Wait, so he's applying something that's good for your skin?
Xie Ling was stunned for a moment before he reacted, but... I don’t know if it’s because of the exquisite ingredients or because of His Majesty, but it’s actually quite comfortable.
After the ointment melted slightly, the area under my eyes felt cool and my eyes were no longer sore.
He was distracted for a moment, and then he felt the hand on his left eye stop, and suddenly heard His Majesty ask casually.
"Why couldn't you sleep last night?"
Xie Ling suddenly came back to his senses and almost spoke subconsciously, but stopped when the words reached his lips.
Why does Your Majesty ask this?
He was a little confused and his eyes were darting around.
Xiao Huan stared at him, and after asking the question, he noticed that this guy was thinking about something, with a slight smile in his eyes.
Xie Ling was still a little confused when he heard Emperor Wu, who was sitting at the top of the table, say, "Don't look away."
Xie Ling: ???
Xiao Huan: "You're cross-eyed."
Xie Ling swore that he had never been so embarrassed in his life.
He wasn't embarrassed when he came here and was playing badly just now, and he wasn't embarrassed when he was scared by the rabbit. But at this moment, he was extremely embarrassed, and the heat spread from his ears to his face.
Xie Ling thought that he should be allowed to die. Really, a person only has one chance to die in society.
And he is now!
He actually crossed his eyes at such a random moment. He couldn't even imagine how funny he would look in the eyes of Emperor Wu.
“Ahhhhhh.”
"It's over, Tongzi, the image is gone."
system:……
Although, has the host ever had an image?
It hesitated for a moment and chose to comfort the host.
“It’s quite interesting.”
Don't mention that he chose the host because of his good looks. Even if their eyes are stuck together, it's still interesting.
Xie Ling: ...Is this a comforting statement? Why does it feel so ironic in this situation?
He subconsciously closed his eyes and tried to adjust them.
But the person on the other side!
He actually laughed!
Just now there was a smile in his eyes, but now he actually chuckled. If it weren't for the ancient Xie Ling, he would have jumped up and was furious, but the person on the other side just apologized.
"Sorry, this is the first time I've seen someone cross their eyes."
Good news, His Majesty Emperor Wu apologized. There is no record in history books of an iron-blooded emperor bowing to him.
Bad news, this cross-eyed thing is not going to work!
Xie Ling took a deep breath, covered his eyes with one hand, and gave up resisting.
Forget it, the image is already ruined, so why not be thorough in that case.
"Your Majesty, I not only have the ability to cross my eyes, I also have a unique skill."
"What?" Xiao Huan raised his eyebrows and looked over.
Xie Ling: "Not only do I cross my eyes, I also roll my eyes."
The next moment, a lifelike white eye was rolled out.
What a joke.
Xie Ling felt a little numb after he finished speaking. He thought His Majesty would not like it, but who knew His Majesty looked at it carefully for a while and rubbed his jaw.
“It’s cute.”
Xie Ling: ???
Xie Ling was still somewhat incredulous until Emperor Wu finished applying the ointment and withdrew his hand.
Wait, he said...it was cute?
"Tongzi, His Majesty said that I am cute when I roll my eyes?"
Is this world already hallucinating?
System: Why is it that when it said it was interesting, the host didn't believe it at all, but now that the Emperor said he was cute, the host reacted so strongly?
System: "This system didn't hear anything just now."
Xie Ling: "Very good, Emperor Wu did say I'm cute just now."
But what does this mean?
Did His Majesty speak so pleasantly before? Xie Ling tried to recall it, feeling somewhat suspicious.
"Why do I feel like your Majesty has changed a little recently?"
The system can't explain why.
Xie Ling calmed down and turned his head secretly, just in time to meet the gaze of His Majesty. The next second he quickly and seriously withdrew his gaze, but he felt even more anxious.
What’s going on!
So, why are you praising him so suddenly?
The consequence of being affected was that Xie Ling spent the entire afternoon trying to figure out what the Emperor Wu meant. However, the Emperor returned to normal at noon, making it impossible for him to figure it out.
Xie Ling: ...numb.
Review, review!
The more you think of him, the more he is a dog!
Maybe His Majesty Emperor Wu just said it casually. Is it true that he rolled his eyes well? Shaking his head slightly, Xie Ling threw away the mess in his mind, lowered his head and took a deep breath, concentrating on doing his homework seriously. There was still a lot of homework accumulated last time. What would he think about every day if he didn't do his homework?
When Wang Bao came in, he saw that the atmosphere in the hall seemed to have returned to normal. He couldn't help but shook his head, feeling a little strange.
In the past few days, Xie Ling had put what happened that day behind him. Fortunately, His Majesty did not say anything else, so he completely regarded it as an accident. He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
It is said that not only he is busy these days, but the court is also busy. The closer it gets to the end of winter, the more things there are to do.
Your Majesty has been preparing for this for so long, it is impossible for him to come back empty-handed.
Xiao Huan simply took this opportunity to completely eliminate the King of Zhou and the Queen Mother Sun's followers one by one, and prepared for the beginning of next spring bit by bit.
It was just because the action was so huge that not everyone could understand Emperor Wu. There were undercurrents in the court, and Duke Ningguo also looked solemn after the court session.
Although Zhang Jing did not side with King Zhou and his men, and their Ningguo Mansion had been neutral for generations, they also felt that Your Majesty's actions were too cruel.
The number of people sentenced in the past few days is almost the same as that in the year when His Majesty ascended the throne. Everyone in the court is in danger. He frowned and wanted to go out for a walk in confusion.
"Father, I'm going out to relax."
Duke Ningguo glanced at him and said, "Go ahead."
Zhang Jing nodded and walked out of the mansion. However, he didn't know where to go. He hesitated for a moment, then thought of the lake outside the Imperial College and decided to take a walk there.
As Xie Ling walked out of the palace and prepared to look for his teacher, he was told by the servant beside his teacher that his teacher was on duty at the Imperial College today.
"Imperial Academy?"
"Mr. Xie, are you still going?" Qian Ming turned around.
Xie Ling thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to the Imperial College."
It just so happened that he hadn't been out for a long time, so he could buy some snacks there. He remembered that there were food stalls all along the Imperial College, and it was very lively.
Qian Ming turned his horse around and drove towards the Imperial College. Just as he arrived at the place where fried cherries were sold, he was stopped by Master Xie.
"Xiao Qian, stop for a moment."
"You guys take a break, I'll go buy some things."
"Okay, thank you, sir." The eunuchs were used to it and found a place to sit.
After Xie Ling jumped off the carriage, he skillfully found a place to queue.
"Boss, I want a pack of cherry fried dumplings."
"Just made the kind."
As soon as he finished speaking, he was heard by the person in front.
Zhang Jing heard a voice that sounded like Brother Xie's from two people away, so he walked over and saw that it was indeed that voice.
"Young Master Xie."
"What a coincidence, you're here at the Imperial College too?"
Actually, the two hadn't seen each other for a long time. Suddenly meeting an old friend, Zhang Jing felt a little better. He didn't expect to have such a gain when he went out today.
Xie Ling hadn't expected to meet Zhang Jing, so he smiled and said, "I haven't congratulated the prince on winning yet."
"I came out to buy some things and see the teacher. What are you going to do, Prince?"
Zhang Jing didn't want to tell Xie Ling that he was upset about the court affairs, which had affected his mood, so he just said, "If you are tired of reviewing your lessons, just come out for a walk."
"If Young Master Xie wants to go find Zheng Daru, I'll accompany you."
"No, I mean, I'll take you there."
Zhang Jing blushed slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable but insisted:
"I am familiar with the Imperial College."
"Will this... be a bit troublesome?" Xie Ling was still a little hesitant. Just now, he saw that Master Zhang seemed to be heading towards the front of the Imperial College. Wouldn't it be a bad idea to let him lead the way?
"No trouble."
Zhang Jing shook his head and said quickly:
"I don't think it's a trouble at all to lead the way for Brother Xie."
What he said... Even though Xie Ling was a little slow, he felt that it was too enthusiastic.
To be honest, he and Zhang Jing didn't meet very often. This Prince Zhang had no problem with his character and even sent him homework. However, he always felt a little uncomfortable with him.
But since the top student had already said so, it seemed awkward to refuse, so Xie Ling had no choice but to say, "Thank you very much, Mr. Zhang."
Zhang Jing nodded, remembering something.
"By the way, Brother Xie, you can call me "De Ming"."
It was the first time that Xie Ling addressed someone like that. He felt a little uncomfortable for a moment, but he still exchanged his name with her as if they were making friends.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Jing blushed after hearing this.
"Spring, this word suits Master Xie very well."
“It sounds good.”
Qian Ming was waiting for Master Xie to come back. When he looked up, he saw Master Xie and a handsome and slightly serious-looking young man walking towards him. He was stunned for a moment.
"Mr. Xie, who is this?"
Xie Ling: "This is the Prince of Ningguo, the winner of this provincial examination."
Jie Yuan, wait, isn't this the Sen*Wan*Jie*Li that His Majesty has always forbidden Master Xie to contact?
How did this happen?!
Qian Ming felt as if the sky had fallen in the blink of an eye. However, thinking that Master Xie didn't know yet, he could only hold it in.
Along the way, Zhang Jing enthusiastically escorted Xie Ling to Zheng Daru. Seeing that Xie Ling wanted to study, he said, "Then I will leave first."
"Harutoki, please go to class first."
Xie Ling nodded: "See you next time?"
Zheng Daru was very happy that Xie Ling had made a new friend, and watched Xie Ling see the person off with a smile.
Xie Ling heaved a sigh of relief after sending the person away, but when he returned to the palace at night, something was not right.
It was already very late when Xie Ling came back from finishing his homework. After parting with Xiao Qian, he couldn't help yawning.
Well, I’m very tired today. I’ll come back, take a shower and have a rest. I’ll talk about the update tomorrow.
But as soon as he pushed open the palace door, he found it strange that the candlelight in his room was on. There shouldn't be any thieves in the palace.
He walked carefully behind the screen with the book in his arms. Just as he was about to call for help when he saw something was wrong, he looked up and saw an unexpected person.
The tall and graceful Emperor Wu, dressed in a black robe and brocade clothes, was standing behind the screen at this time. He turned around and looked at him after hearing the noise.
"You know you're back?"
Xie Ling: ... "Uh, Your Majesty?"
It's a bit dangerous. Why is Your Majesty here?
But he...didn't do anything. Just as he was thinking this, he heard the person on the other side say, "Zhang Jing, Deming?"
The last two words were almost like a smile, and Xie Ling didn't know why his scalp was tingling. He laughed and said, "Your Majesty, I just went to my teacher's place to do some homework today. Meeting Master Zhang on the way was just an accident."
It was truly a pure accident, and Prince Zhang only gave him a helping hand.
"I know." Xiao Huan said calmly. If not for this, he would not have just waited here, but would have chosen to bring Xie Ling back long ago.
"What about His Majesty?" Xie Ling was still a little hesitant, not knowing what His Majesty meant by saying this in the middle of the night.
The person opposite was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked at Xie Ling seriously: "I don't like people calling you by your given name."
It was he who woke up in spring, and only he could call.
Xiao Huan paused, thoughts racing through his mind, and at this moment it suddenly dawned on him - Xie Ling was his.
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