When the meme "[You've been seen through! .gif]" appeared above Xiao Che's head, cracked and filled with despair, the emperor's "profound" persona, which he had maintained for two days, completely collapsed.
He stood frozen in place, his face displaying a fascinating array of expressions, from shock to embarrassment, then to a hint of anger and resentment, and finally, under Lin Wanwan's smiling gaze, he completely succumbed to a sense of resignation and indifference.
"Cough!" He coughed heavily, trying to cover up his lapse in composure. He withdrew his hands from behind his back, stopped looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, relaxed completely, and admitted, "I just feel... a little stuffy."
He said it subtly, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.
Lin Wanwan suppressed a laugh and nodded: "Your Majesty, I understand."
The "melodrama" orchestrated by the emperor thus came to an abrupt and unsatisfying end.
However, this was just the beginning.
Xiao Che, who was ruthlessly exposed during the day, did not restrain himself. Instead, it was as if a switch had been flipped.
All day long, he was in a state of visibly heightened excitement. He reviewed memorials at an astonishing speed, as if even glancing at them was a waste of time. By evening, he had finished all his official duties early, even eating his dinner a third faster than usual, before taking Lin Wanwan back to Kunning Palace.
Upon entering the bedchamber and dismissing all the palace servants, Xiao Che immediately revealed his true colors.
He was no longer the composed and dignified emperor, but rather like a primary school student planning a spring outing, excitedly pacing back and forth in the palace, his eyes sparkling with an unprecedented light.
“Wanwan, you don’t know,” he rubbed his hands together, his tone full of longing, “I’ve read a lot of storybooks, and they all say that in the real martial arts world, there are countless extraordinary people and strange talents! There are knights-errant who can fly to the rooftop in a flash, and there are divine doctors who can cure all poisons!”
He walked to the window, opened it, and pointed to the dark night sky outside: "And those famous mountains and rivers! The ebb and flow of the tides on the shores of the East China Sea, the lone smoke rising from the desert at sunset in the west... I've only ever seen them in books! I want to see them with my own eyes!"
He grew more and more excited as he spoke, turning around to grab Lin Wanwan's hand, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her: "Wanwan, just imagine, we'll change into ordinary people's clothes, just the two of us, like an ordinary couple, strolling through the misty alleys of Jiangnan, or climbing the Great Wall of the North! When we're hungry, we'll just find a roadside stall and try the most authentic local snacks; when we're tired, we'll stay at an ordinary inn and listen to the lively conversations of merchants from all over the country. This... this would be so wonderful!"
Seeing him practically dancing with joy, Lin Wanwan found it both amusing and heartbreaking.
Born into royalty and raised in the deep palace, he possessed the world, but also lost a free space of his own.
She neither immediately agreed nor refused, but listened quietly until he finished speaking. Then she pulled him to sit down, poured him a cup of hot tea, and calmly asked, "Your Majesty, what you have said does sound very appealing. However, there are a few issues we must consider first."
"What problem?" Xiao Che, his throat dry from talking, picked up his tea and drank it all in one gulp, saying nonchalantly, "If we're willing to do it, what problem can't we solve?"
“Of course there is.” Lin Wanwan held up one finger. “First, and most importantly: if we leave, who will manage the government? Although the country is peaceful and prosperous now, it’s such a big country with mountains of daily affairs to handle. They can’t just skip work with us, can they?”
Xiao Che's excitement cooled slightly. It seemed he... hadn't really thought about this question carefully.
Lin Wanwan then held up a second finger: "Secondly, there's the issue of security. You are the emperor, and I am the empress. If we travel incognito like this, how can we ensure our safety without a large number of guards? But if we bring too many people, what kind of 'incognito visit' is that? Wouldn't it just become a 'royal tour'?"
Xiao Che's smile was starting to falter.
"And another thing," Lin Wanwan extended her third finger, delivering the most fatal blow, "the most crucial point is, what about our son, Prince 'Tuanzi'? He's only just learned to walk, and he's at that clingy age. We can't just leave him alone in the palace, can we? But if we take him with us... Your Majesty, can you imagine us taking a crown prince on a journey through the world?"
Three questions that struck at the very core were like three buckets of cold water, dousing Xiao Che's burning heart from head to toe.
The excitement and agitation on his face faded at a visible speed. He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself unable to utter a single word.
Politics, security, son... each is an enormous problem that cannot be avoided.
Lin Wan saw that the emoji above his head, which had been sparkling with excitement, had now been paused, all the stars had disappeared, leaving only three large characters hanging there all alone—【Stuck.jpg】.
Just moments before, His Majesty the Emperor had been full of vigor, but now he deflated like a punctured balloon. He slumped back into his chair, holding an empty teacup, radiating an aura of sorrowful disillusionment.
Seeing his appearance, Lin Wanwan finally couldn't help but sigh softly.
She slowly pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from her sleeve pocket.
“Sigh,” she said softly, mimicking his manner during the day, “I thought Your Majesty was just acting on a whim, but it turns out it was a long-planned scheme. It seems that the preparations I made have come in handy.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che abruptly raised his head, a flicker of hope instantly rekindling in his eyes. He stared intently at the piece of paper in Lin Wanwan's hand, his voice trembling as he asked, "What... what is this?"
Lin Wanwan slowly unfolded the paper in front of him.
On the pristine white Xuan paper, several large characters were clearly written in delicate small regular script: "Skipping Work Plan A".
Below the title, several subheadings are listed: "Trusteeship Plan for the Government", "Detailed Rules for Security Guarantee", "Plan for the Crown Prince's Placement", "Identity Disguise and Route Planning", etc.
Under each title, there are preliminary ideas and key points that need to be addressed, clearly organized and logically sound, indicating that they have been carefully considered.
Xiao Che's eyes widened even further.
He snatched the paper and read it carefully three times from beginning to end, his hands trembling with excitement.
"You...you..." He looked at Lin Wanwan, so shocked he was almost incoherent, "You already...?"
Lin Wanwan looked at him with amusement: "Otherwise what? Your Majesty, these past few days you've practically written 'I want to go out and play' all over your face. If I still can't see it, I'm afraid I won't be able to hold onto my position as Empress."
It turned out that from the day Xiao Che "accidentally" revealed the storybook in the imperial study, Lin Wanwan had already seen through all his thoughts. She knew that it was better to guide than to suppress; instead of persuading him to give up the idea, she should help him turn it into a feasible plan.
So, while Xiao Che was racking his brains over how to "hint" at her these past two days, she had already been secretly making plans for their "skipping work" trip.
Having figured all this out, an immense, indescribable joy instantly overwhelmed Xiao Che.
He is not fighting alone! His empress, his wife, is always his strongest support and his most tacit "ally"!
"Wanwan!"
Xiao Che shouted excitedly. He threw down the plan, stood up abruptly, and hugged Lin Wanwan tightly.
His strength was astonishing, as if he wanted to knead her into his very bones.
Lin Wanwan was a little breathless from his embrace, but she could clearly feel his heart pounding wildly in her chest. She smiled and gently patted his back.
She didn't see that, at that moment, the "stuck.jpg" emoji above her husband's head had already been replaced by a huge, gleaming, auspiciously decorated plaque. On the plaque, four large characters were written in a flamboyant, elegant style: "Long Live My Wife!"
Xiao Che was so excited that it took him a long time to calm down. He released Lin Wanwan, picked up the "Skipping Work Plan A" and studied it again as if it were a treasure, constantly praising, "As expected of my Empress! So thoughtful! Absolutely perfect!"
Seeing his eagerness to leave immediately, Lin Wanwan promptly poured cold water on his enthusiasm.
She pointed to the "identity disguise" section on the plan and said leisurely, "Your Majesty, don't be too happy yet."
"Huh?" Xiao Che looked up, puzzled.
A sly smile appeared on Lin Wanwan's face:
"According to the plan, the first step is to find a 'fake emperor' who can attend court on your behalf, review memorials, and intimidate all the officials."
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