Completely thunderstruck as she looks at the child before her, Gui Wan was speechless, only after a long while did she slowly speak up and gently ask: “Who was it that told you this?” Clearly a child yet to reach the tender age of four years old, how could he possibly be able to say such shocking words? Could it be that the imperial palace truly is as horrifying as such, even a child who has yet to learn to run is able to be contaminated? Once she thinks about how this child will also be stepping into officialdom in future, everyone trying to outwit one another, wave after wave of biting chills hits her deep down in her heart, the hand stoking his head slowly withdraws.
“It was Mother Empress who said it. In future, I will be Emperor.” Childlike speech with childlike words, within such adorable speaking tone there actually harbours future intentions.
It was the Empress? Afraid that because of Consort Yin’s pregnancy, she feels threatened, and only because of this would she speak of such matters with a child right? Gui Wan remains silent, watching the little prince bouncily expressing the Empress’ words with phrases that he is not yet familiar with, “Mother Empress said, I can do whatever I want to do……hei-hei……Aunt Wan?”
“It is not like that. The imperial throne is a mountain of blades, a sea of flames, how is it that easy?” Knitting her brows together, Gui Wan pulls a serious face as she lightly persuades, just that the child is just too young, he does not understand her words, continuing to smile joyfully.
Thoughts taking a turn, Gui Wan extends her hand, harshly pinching onto the prince’s cheek, paining him to the point that his child’s cry directly calls out, tears brewing up in his eyes, looking at Gui Wan in shock, tearfully calling out: “Hurt……wu-……”
“Becoming the Emperor, this is what it’s like, but you cannot even say it hurts, you still want to be it?” Switching to a method that he will understand, Gui Wan tirelessly, earnestly, teaches him. How much she hopes to erase the deep imprint the Empress has carved into his little heart.
Unable to refrain from whimpering out loud, the Prince became like a rattle drum, “Wu-……I don’t want to anymore……” Shaking his head side to side, with every drawing in of a breath, every weep, looking absolutely pitiful, suddenly seeing something, his mouth opens wide, the sound of his cries swallowed back into his stomach, simmering there as he dares not to move, seeming just like he has seen something terrifying.
Gui Wan immediately turns her head back, Zheng Liu is standing by the doors, a face of thoughtfulness as he stares at her and the prince, those orbs appears deep and still, a bottomless pit. Gui Wan’s heart crazily beats, soundlessly showing up like that, who knows how long he was stood there, how much he has heard?
The silent atmosphere continued on for a while, right at the moment Gui Wan hurriedly recovers her composure, when bowing in greeting, she glances at Zheng Liu, his face carries a slightly smile, filled with an air of Confucianism, the still and deep look in his orbs from just now disappears without a trace. Leisurely approaching them, brushing past Gui Wan’s body, his eyes set straight ahead, walking directly in front of the little prince, his big hand gently stroking the prince’s little head, tenderly saying: “What’s wrong, do you not recognise Father Emperor now?”
Because of sensing pain just now, the half hanging tears on his cheek trembles in movement, and his lips presses together, the little prince quietly says: “Father Emperor……” Within his baby-like voice and baby-like speech, there carries a seemingly aggrieved ambiguity.
“Such an intelligent child.” Zheng Liu raises his brows as he praises, retrieving his hand, his eyes sweeps around the room, finally settling on Gui Wan, “Madam Lou, long time no see.”
Every time she hears this type of speaking tone of his that sits in between being playful and being serious, Gui Wan feels a slight sense of conflict within her heart, containing a smile as she says: “Troubled your majesty with such lingering thoughts.”
“Are you still this calm till this day? Looks like Madam is also a heartless person.” Zheng Liu lowly laughs, the little prince is evidently shrinking back, yet he does not think of him as disobedient, “Prime Minister Lou’s whereabouts are unknown, Madam is taking it easy, exactly is it the heart that holds no longing, or is it being wise to protect yourself from troubles?
“Your majesty is speaking too heavily, did Husband not return to his hometown? Where has the words ‘whereabouts unknown’ come from?” Taking out the smokescreen that he had released to counter-block his questions.
Zheng Liu deep orbs stares into Gui Wan for a while, before heartily laughing out loud, “What a great mouth of eloquence……” Just when such words were being spoken, the palace maids and eunuchs outside the doors returns to the room upon hearing the sound of speaking, seeing the Emperor they were all rendered shock, kneeling down on the ground in a uniformed manner.
Gui Wan secretly sighs in relief, watching as the palace maids hurries to take care of the Prince, taking the opportunity in wanting to withdraw out of the hall, she was just about to bow in signal of her leave, when Zheng Liu suddenly speaks up: “Madam Lou, it is rare of you to have a short stay within the palace, I am missing the friendship shared between monarch and subject with Prime Minister Lou, why not allow me to provide great hospitality for Madam this once?”
“Your majesty is of a supremely honourable position, how could I trouble your majesty?” This demonic Emperor of deeply unfathomable thoughts, joy and anger indistinguishable, who knows what exactly he is plotting.
“Is Madam rejecting my good intentions?” Slowly taking a step out, Zheng Liu raises his voice, seeming to be rather displeased.
From her peripheral vision, Gui Wan notices that the few palace maids within the room have already turned their heads over, strangely looking over at her, knowing deep inside that if she continues to reject him it will attract criticisms, she braces herself, with the posture of a weak and fragile willow, she replies, “Gui Wan dares not, thanking your majesty’s magnificent grace.”
Expecting her to answer like such all along, Zheng Liu does not even turn his head back as he leaves the palace halls. Gui Wan takes a few steps forwards, from her ears she hears the little prince gently calling out Aunt Wan, carrying an apologetic look she glances back at him, hundreds of different feelings mixing together within her heart, in the end she turns her head, following Zheng Liu’s figure in leaving.
Outside the courtyard there is only Zheng Liu alone standing there, beside him not a single person is following by his side, Gui Wan slowly paces up to him, more or less with feelings of reluctance, her heart filled with unwillingness. Just that Zheng Liu just had to be standing sideways, without any care at all, his eyes looking into the distant, his eyes blurring into a leisurely faint colour, a look full of deep thinking, Gui Wan accompanies him, standing by his side, quietly estimating him, but does not say anything to interrupt him.
“Madam,” Zheng Liu suddenly turns his head, directly meeting Gui Wan’s eyes, the corner of his lips forming a slight curve, “Can you guess, where Prime Minister Lou is right now?”
Gui Wan receives a slight shock from his sudden turn of his head, under inferior precautions, she deeply looks into the deep and quiet area between his brows, seeing his eyes slightly flash, his mind seeming unsettled, busily shifting his eyes, his line of sight slightly turning away, she casts her eyes to the scenery behind Zheng Liu’s figure, “Your majesty, I am unable to answer this question.”
“Minister Lou truly is ruthless ah,” Before Zheng Liu’s figure made a move, the wind blows against his sleeves making it float up, even the hidden air of untamed nature on his body raised up three points in the wind, “In the crucial moment, to actually leave you behind also, I really cannot not admire him.”
Towards Lou Che’s destination point, she seems to have practically already gotten a vague idea, Gui Wan feels a chilly air flood into her heart, yet her mouth frankly replies: “Your majesty is worrying too much.”
Carefully looking over Gui Wan, deep down Zheng Liu could not refrain from being secretly surprised, thinking of her pinching the little prince’s cheek just before, asking that question “Becoming the Emperor, this is what it’s like, but you cannot even say it hurts, you still want to be it?” His heart throbs, the coldness in his eyes secretly gathers up, a stern look passes by his face, and he turns around, walking ahead.
Failing to understand, Gui Wan can only helplessly follow after him, walking along the meandering gravel pathway, the air still carries a chill, under hastiness, inhaling it into the mouth, the frosty chill is like knives, she holds onto the snow fur collar, wrapping it tighter, secretly complaining about this Son of Heaven’s eccentric temperament.
Accompanying Zheng Liu strolling around the garden, in which not a single word was spoken along the way, only silently walking. This garden is originally a place of few people, thus they were met with no disruption, up until they came up to a pavilion, did Zheng Liu finally come to a stop. Gui Wan carefully looks all around, turns out it is the garden beside Chong Hua Hall, recalling the scenes that played out within this hall, her mood also feels conflicted, noticing that Zheng Liu is suddenly inside the pavilion, sitting on the stone bench, leaning back on the stone pillar, and actually have his eyes closed in resting, she was absolutely speechless, Gui Wan steps into the pavilion, not knowing whether she should speak up or not, deep down she was secretly annoyed, not knowing wh