Chapter 365: I hope you won’t get tired of my aesthetics

Chapter 365: I hope you won't get tired of my aesthetics

The Emperor sat on the bed, head lowered, muttering to himself, and even his eyes grew slightly moist.

"Since I ascended the throne, I have never slackened. The late Emperor didn't favor me; he thought I was inferior to the sixth prince. After taking this position, I exerted all my efforts to prove him wrong, to show that I was not inferior to the sixth prince. But... how did it come to this point? Am I not working hard enough?"

The Emperor lifted his head and looked at Jiao Kangsheng, asking, "Tell me, am I not working hard enough?"

Jiao Kangsheng immediately knelt on the ground and whispered, "Your Majesty, your devoted servant understands your hardships better than anyone else."

"But why has it come to this?" the Emperor asked again, "Xiao Huai has great merit that intimidates the throne; should I not have killed him? Look at past dynasties, how many generals with towering merits have been executed."

Jiao Kangsheng knelt in silence, inwardly he wanted to say, Xiao Huai's intimidating merit warranted your will to kill him, but the crux of the matter is that you lacked the power to do so.

But how could he bring himself to say these words?

The emperor sighed deeply, "Has someone spoken to Xiang Tianhe about this?"

Jiao Kangsheng nodded, "I have asked Minister Wu to convey the message."

"Hmm, he is trustworthy," the emperor said as he lay on his side, murmuring, "I just hope Xiang Tianhe does not disappoint me."

Meanwhile, Xiang Tianhe, carrying some pastries, returned home and went straight to the backyard to give the snacks to Lady Xiang.

Lady Xiang took the pastries and nibbled on them as she asked, "How did this morning's court session go?"

"Prince Kang outshone the Third Prince."

His response was cryptic, but Lady Xiang understood and said, "I've met Prince Kang twice; he seems to be a generous young man."

Xiang Tianhe hummed in agreement, and Lady Xiang continued, "The Duke of Dingguo serves as a warning for us; the current sovereign cannot tolerate those with notable merits."

"Hmm."

Lady Xiang glanced at him, then gestured dismissively, "I don't understand the affairs outside, as long as our family can live in peace."

This time, Xiang Tianhe offered four words of reassurance: "Don't worry about it."

After chatting for a while, Xiang Tianhe stood up to go to the front courtyard, where he practiced boxing for a bit in the training ground, then returned to his study and summoned his personal guard, instructing him, "Go to the Duke of Dingguo's residence and inform him that the emperor has ordered me to kill him."

The personal guard replied, "...Yes."

Xiang Tianhe waved a hand dismissively, and as the guard turned to leave, he couldn't help but internally criticize that the emperor was completely blind to the current situation. The Duke of Dingguo had over ten thousand troops in the capital, whereas their general had at most a thousand soldiers; how were they expected to fight against the Duke?

To simply deliver their heads on a platter?

Moreover, considering the great merits of the Duke of Dingguo, if the emperor wished to kill him now, what would stop him from turning against their general once this crisis was resolved?

The likelihood of that is incredibly high!

Does everyone else seem like a fool to you?

The imperial guard internally grumbled but mounted his horse to go to the Duke of Dingguo's residence. Upon arrival, he carefully repeated the message to Xiao Huai, who after hearing it, scoffed coldly and said, “Tell your general, I am aware.”

"Yes."

After the guard took his leave, Xiao Huai stood up and headed to the back courtyard. Tang Shuyi was standing behind the desk, engrossed in drawing with a pen in her hand, having become quite fascinated with painting recently.

Xiao Huai approached, looked over her shoulder for a while, and then took her hand to complete the final strokes of the painting. Tang Shuyi examined the picture closely and asked, "Do you think with my current skills, if one day I return to our time, I could make a living by selling my paintings?"

"Of course," Xiao Huai replied. "If all else fails, I will purchase all of madam’s paintings."

Tang Shuyi laughed heartily, "I forgot, you're a second-generation rich."

Xiao Huai joined in the laughter, and they sat down together. Xiao Huai then recounted the visit from the imperial guard sent by the Tianhe Sect. After listening, Tang Shuyi said, "Now he has no choice but to rely on General Xiang, but still..."

Leaning back on the couch in a relaxed pose, Xiao Huai said, "Let him make his moves. It might even serve as a whetstone for Jing Yi."

Tang Shuyi bit her lip upon hearing this but said nothing. The emperor and Li Jing Yi were bound to confront each other eventually; her worry was for Li Jing Yi, who would be distressed knowing the emperor was his biological father. Yet, what must be faced cannot be avoided forever.

Xiao Huai, guessing her thoughts, said, "This matter is inconsequential in the grand scheme of his life."

Tang Shuyi sighed, "Children must grow up, and I must let go eventually."

At that moment, Xiao Huai took her hand, "So, in the end, it’s just the two of us accompanying each other."

Looking at him, Tang Shuyi said, "I only hope you won’t tire of me aesthetically."

"I certainly won’t," assured Xiao Huai. "We have but a few decades left, and that's hardly enough to fully understand you."

Sweet nothings are always welcome, and Tang Shuyi, with a smile playing on her lips, leaned in and kissed him on the lips, "For your reward."

Xiao Huai laughed softly, "My lady's reward is too light; I want something more substantial."

With that, he leaned in, enveloping her in an embrace...

……

The Qi Residence

Tang Shubai and Qi Liangsheng were currently sipping tea, their cups cradled delicately in their hands. They had spent nearly an entire day explaining state affairs to Li Jingyi, leaving them parched and tongue-tied.

Yet it was heartening to see that Li Jingyi grasped concepts quickly and showed no arrogance despite the possibility of becoming emperor one day. He would ask whenever he was unsure and was adept at drawing inferences from one instance to another.

The two shared a glance over their tea, recognizing the gleam of hope in each other's eyes. Having a sagacious and insightful ruler was a stroke of good fortune, not just for officials like them who served in court, but also for the common folk.

"Your Highness, it's getting late. Let's conclude for today," Qi Liangsheng suggested as he set down his teacup and turned to Li Jingyi.

Li Jingyi, who had been reviewing his notes, stood up and bowed, "I've imposed upon your time, my lords."

Tang Shubai and Qi Liangsheng hastily returned the bow. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Li Jingyi left the Qi Residence. At the gate, a mounted escort awaited him, and he boarded his carriage for the palace.

Currently, Xiao Yuming was in charge of the palace, and Li Jingyi felt he should go and share the burden.

Once inside the carriage, he picked up his pen and began to record the day's events on a sheet of paper, detailing his nervousness, the pressure he felt, and his hopes for the future.

Upon arriving at the palace gates, his letter was finished. He handed it to a soldier, "To Princess Kang Le."

The soldier took the letter and quickly rode off to the Duke of Dingguo's residence. It wasn't long before Xiao Yuzhu read the missive, her face always alight with a smile. After reading, she penned a reply and had it sent to the palace.

Li Jingyi hadn’t expected her prompt reply and wore a foolish grin as he read it. Even in his dreams that night, he found himself laughing.

…………………………

P.S.: Since today is Qixi, I wrote something sweet.

Happy Qixi Festival!