Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Ranxi: "???"

"I asked you to find her a job, not to arrest her!"

Linghu Xuan did not respond, his expression utterly arrogant.

He does not allow the little merperson to care for others.

Ranxi, puzzled, reached to tug at Linghu Xuan's sleeve, failing to understand why his previously gentle and obedient brother had suddenly become so distant.

Is this his true nature?

Has being accustomed to being Emperor made him indifferent to the lives and dignity of common folk?

At the Emperor's command,

Hundreds of people appeared from all directions.

Seeing this, Qu Zhanxia prepared to use her light body technique to escape, but as she leaped up, the Emperor's guards threw a steel net over her.

Qu Zhanxia generated a sword energy with her bare hands, cutting through the steel net.

Then, seven or eight more steel nets flew towards her from all directions, even from beneath her feet, thoroughly ensnaring the stunning "lady."

Ranxi: "..."

"Wow, what did this lady do to provoke you so much that you want to arrest her!"

"Linghu Xuan, please release this lady."

Suddenly, he was lifted by the neck.

Linghu Xuan, looking at the teary-eyed little merperson, said word for word, "Speak again for this woman, and I will have her executed by dismemberment immediately."

Tears trickled down Ranxi's cheeks as he closed his eyes and covered his ears.

Refusing to listen or see.

He hated his own weakness, wishing he wasn't so small, so he could struggle against the evil Linghu Xuan and save the poor lady.

The little merperson's tears silently flowed.

Linghu Xuan panicked, "Why are you crying?"

Ranxi turned his head away, disgusted that he could still hear his voice even with his ears covered.

Linghu Xuan: "..."

He began to fear.

According to the "Chronicles of Merpeople," unofficiated merperson couples, despite previously deep affections, could easily part ways over trivial matters.

Even though this little merperson was a good-natured fool, he still possessed the capriciousness characteristic of merpeople.

Enough, he couldn't provoke him.

Fearing abandonment, Linghu Xuan gritted his teeth, "Bring that woman up here!"

Ranxi suddenly opened his eyes.

Five strong men, pulling on steel chains, dragged Qu Zhanxia, wrapped in layers of steel wire net like a zongzi, before the Emperor.

Linghu Xuan, holding the little merperson gently, said, "Look, this woman has been brought up. You decide her fate."

He bent down and quickly kissed the top of the little merperson's head.

Ranxi: "Huh?"

He felt a strange warmth transfer from Linghu Xuan's mouth to his head, then spread throughout his body.

Qu Zhanxia: "..."

He was surprised, wondering what had happened to the little merperson. Yesterday, he was of normal human size, with a long, large fish tail, and now, although the same, he had shrunk proportionally.

Tiny and exquisite, sitting demurely in the palm of the little Emperor, so delicate and adorable, he thought, "Damn, I really want to steal him away right now."

Lying on the ground, he threw a flirtatious glance at the little merperson.

Linghu Xuan's face darkened instantly.

"Wow." Ranxi's heart pounded violently, overwhelmed by the intensity; he quickly burrowed into Linghu Xuan's collar.

Linghu Xuan: "..."

Afraid to look at the beautiful woman, Ranxi said, "Linghu Xuan, just give her some money and let her leave."

Linghu Xuan: "Alright, alright, whatever you say."

Qu Zhanxia frowned, hearing the little merperson's voice as clear and melodious as a spring, understanding his words, which he couldn't the day before.

According to information from Prince Cheng, the Emperor could understand all languages due to a magical power, which seemed to extend this ability to others.

The little merperson, beautiful and kind-hearted, must have been overwhelmed by his own stunning beauty, asking the Emperor to release him.

But if released, how would he find such a good opportunity to come back for the little merperson?

Next time, he would not only need to shrink but also bring along tools, which could easily give him away.

Qu Zhanxia softly parted her lips, "Your Majesty, I have been wronged."

Ran Xi peeked out from Linghu Xuan's clothes, his fins twitching, "Wow, beautiful sister has a grievance. Linghu Xuan, release her chains and redress her wrongs."

Linghu Xuan: "...Release her."

The layers of steel wire around Qu Zhanxia loosened, and she gracefully knelt down, "Your Majesty, my name is Xiao Xia, I lived near the city of Zhu Zhou, in a large house..."

She paused, pondering how to continue without making it too obvious, and quickly started sobbing.

Such a familiar storyline.

Ranxi's mischievous DNA kicked in, and he softly hummed: "I once lived on the outskirts of Suzhou, with a house and fields, life was bliss. Then came Tang Bohu, ruthless and cold, colluding with officials, a law unto himself, took my house, seized my fields. My grandfather confronted him, was beaten to a pulp with a stick, my grandmother accused him of cheating the kind, was captured into Tang's mansion, framed a hundred times, a hundred times, until she hung herself in despair. He also drove me and my father out, to wander by the river.

To support my aging father, I had no choice but to beg alone in front of temples."

He was unaware that Qu Zhanxia could now understand his speech.

Qu Zhanxia's face twitched, inadvertently caught up in Ranxi's rhythm, inspired to continue: "My family of six, three generations under one roof, once happy and united, then came King Cheng, using his power to bully, fancied my beauty, wanted to take me as his concubine, colluding with officials, disregarding the law..."

My apologies to King Cheng, whom we just allied with. I only wanted the little merperson, goodbye to you.

Ranxi: "..."

Linghu Xuan: "..."

Can the young merman read minds? It sounds so accurate.

Qu Zhanxia: "When the commoner girl refused to become a concubine, the king imprisoned my grandfather, and my grandmother... oh."

Well, his grandmother is still alive; he can't fabricate stories like the young merman, or else, if his grandmother finds out, he'd be in for a scolding when he returns.

Tears streamed down like pearls from a broken string.

Ranyi and Linghu Xuan exchanged a glance.

Both were stunned.

Qu Zhanxia: "Then my father and I fled here, barely escaping Prince Cheng's pursuit. When we returned home, my father succumbed to a sudden illness, and we were left with nothing..."

Ranxi said with deep sorrow, "Indeed, happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

He pondered for a while before finally recalling who Prince Cheng was.

He is Linghu Xuan's cousin, also one of the minor antagonists. This character becomes the new emperor supported by the main character's lover after Linghu Xuan's demise, renowned for his benevolence.

However, disgustingly, this man previously fancied women, marrying a highly strategic queen and several concubines, fathering many children, only to later confess to the universally adored lover that he would divorce all his wives for him.

And now, he's caught forcing himself on a beautiful commoner.

That such a person eventually became emperor with ease, while the virtuously masculine and staunch Linghu Xuan met his end, is infuriating indeed.

Ranxi angrily said, "Linghu Xuan, hurry and arrest Prince Cheng! He's no good."

Linghu Xuan: "..."

Prince Cheng was the one he least tolerated in court, but things were not so simple now.

Linghu Xuan asked, "You said your home is outside Zhu City, but as far as I know, Prince Cheng has always been under the surveillance of the Jinyiwei, never leaving the capital."

Qu Zhanxia: "Prince Cheng never left the capital, and I have never met him. It was the queen who saw me and wanted to take me as a concubine for Prince Cheng."

"Everything was orchestrated by Prince Cheng's wife."

At this moment, the chief guard beside Linghu Xuan reported, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Secret Police had received information that the Princess Consort of Prince Cheng has a penchant for polishing mirrors, but her subjects have always been the maids and concubines within Prince Cheng's estate. The first report was..."

Ranxi covered his mouth: "Wow, so it's like that."

To hear gossip not written in the books, tell me more.

Linghu Xuan disliked such gossip, finding it a waste of time. As the emperor, he had many matters to attend to and quickly gestured for silence.

"Enough, let's not speak of trivial matters."

Ranxi sulkily folded his arms: "..."

Annoying!

Linghu Xuan: "That woman, just follow along, return to the capital to identify Prince Cheng in court."

He lifted the little merman from his embrace, softly saying, "Shall I appoint her as your personal maid?"

Ranxi: "Ah?"

Personal maid?

Glancing at the enchantingly beautiful Qu Zhanxia, he immediately shrank back, clinging to Linghu Xuan's fingers, "No thanks, this sister is too pretty... and with me looking like this..."

The more he spoke, the darker Linghu Xuan's expression became, yet his anger was not shown; instead, he spoke very gently, "It's alright, you'll eventually have to get used to having maids around."

Ranxi: "..."

Linghu Xuan: "First, take this woman down to learn the palace rules."

Standing up, Qu Zhanxia picked up his skirt, curtseying towards the young merman, eagerly looking forward to becoming the merman's personal maid.

Two guards escorted Qu Zhanxia away.

Ranyi peered out, using the corner of his eye to catch a glimpse of Qu Zhanxia's graceful figure.

Linghu Xuan placed Ranyi on the tea table, rhythmically tapping the table with the index finger of his left hand, beginning to instruct his future empress.

"Although you are still young, you will be the mother of a nation in the future."

"You must become a model for both the inner and outer courts."

Ranyi was somewhat puzzled, his eyes curving into crescents, wondering what he was talking about.

"I have already ordered your daily attire and crown to be rushed."

"The empress's attire will take at least two years to embroider. We've set the wedding ceremony for two years from now, by which time we will have already..." Linghu Xuan's face suddenly turned red.

Ranyi tilted his head, curiously watching him.

"Linghu Xuan, what are you saying? Do you mean I am to be your empress?"

Linghu Xuan lifted his small arm with two fingers, smiling indulgently, "Yes, in the five hundred years since the founding of Da Yong, from the era of the Great Ancestor, we have had a design for the ceremonial attire of a merman empress. You will be the first to wear it."

Ranyi: "Ah?"

"Why? I don't want to."