Chapter 125 Agarwood Beads

The emperor's decree cannot be defied, and the ruler's authority is hard to resist.

Cheng Ge, with a sour face, accepted his new task and said, "I accept the decree and will exert all my efforts until death."

Upon seeing this, Zhou Mingqi gave a faint smirk and waved his hand, saying, "Everyone, clear out."

Cheng Ge, like he'd been given a pardon, quickly rose, but he felt drained and swayed slightly.

He sidestepped a couple of paces, seemingly nonchalant but actually careful, and stealthily reached out toward the court tablet on the desk.

However, just as his fingers were about to touch it, the court tablet was suddenly whisked away with a "whoosh."

Cheng Ge: "???"

Totally confused, Cheng Ge looked up at Zhou Mingqi, his mouth opening and closing as he cursed under his breath.

Zhou Mingqi, however, acted like it was no big deal, sitting leisurely on the dragon throne and deliberately asked, "What's the matter?"

"Your servant... has to attend the morning court tomorrow; without this court tablet to keep me alert, I fear my spirits will falter."

Zhou Mingqi chuckled lightly and took a slow sip of tea.

"Never mind, let this court tablet stay for now, so I can soak up that holy glow."

Cheng Ge: Tsk, this damn emperor—I'm so over it.

Cheng Ge had just walked out of the imperial study with reluctance, his face still looking pretty grim.

At that moment, a voice came from the side: "Lord Cheng, hold up."

Cheng Ge turned his head and saw Zhou Hao standing there, his hands folded in front, with a mature smile on his face.

After hesitating for two seconds, Cheng Ge stepped forward and bowed: "Your servant pays respects to the second prince."

"No need for that formality, Lord Cheng." Zhou Hao raised his hand and lightly supported Cheng Ge's arm.

Zhou Hao smiled faintly, his eyes warm but unreadable, saying, "Lord Cheng has been busy with official duties lately; you should take care of yourself."

Cheng Ge pulled his hand back without making it obvious, his expression respectful but his tone distant: "Thank you for Your Highness's concern; it's my job to lighten the emperor's load."

Zhou Hao nodded slightly, as if offhandedly, saying, "The autumn hunt is a big deal; can't be easy for you, Lord Cheng."

Cheng Ge raised his eyelids slightly and replied without changing his expression: "I eat the emperor's bread, so I do his bidding; no matter how difficult, it must be done."

Zhou Hao's grin widened as he edged closer and dropped his voice: "If you hit any snags, Lord Cheng, just tell me; maybe I can lend a hand."

Cheng Ge instinctively took two steps back, but his face remained respectful: "I appreciate your kindness, Your Highness. But with the emperor's command, I can't pass it off to someone else."

Zhou Hao was way too obvious about trying to win him over; Cheng Ge just wanted to be a minor official and collect a steady paycheck now, not get involved in faction fights.

Moreover, Zhou Mingqi was still young; he'd probably live another 20 or 30 years, no problem.

If he had to pick a side, better to serve the emperor directly.

Zhou Hao's eyes darkened, a wry smile on his lips: "Lord Cheng is indeed loyal."

Cheng Ge bowed slightly, his tone humble: "I'm just doing my job."

Zhou Hao studied him for a moment, then let out a soft sigh, saying, "Fine, since you know your boundaries, I will not say more."

Cheng Ge clasped his hands in a bow: "If Your Highness has no other orders, your servant will take his leave."

Zhou Hao nodded, watching him turn and leave, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Cheng Ge quickly left, secretly relieved to have gotten away from Zhou Hao.

Sometimes he really couldn't understand how two brothers from the same dad could be so different.

One was as clueless as a puppy, just grinning like an idiot all day.

The other, though young, looked like he'd been pumped full of growth hormones, all scheming and crafty—no trace of the innocence a kid should have.

Whatever, I don't give a damn. Let them fight it out.

But fate had other plans; he had only taken a few steps when a young eunuch called out to him.

"Lord Cheng, the Crown Prince is looking for you."

Cheng Ge: Oh, come on...

Cheng Ge groaned inside but had no choice but to follow the eunuch to see the Crown Prince.

As soon as he saw the Crown Prince, before Cheng Ge could even bow, the prince rushed over.

The prince couldn't help griping, "Finally you show up! I've been waiting forever!"

Cheng Ge said helplessly, "Your Highness, I don't have wings; even if I wanted to see you, I couldn't fly over!"

Zhou Zhan, upon hearing this, suddenly froze, his cheeks flushing red.

He stammered with some hesitation, "You... you were thinking about me?"

Cheng Ge: "???" Miss you my ass! That's not the point!

However, before Cheng Ge could speak, a string of beads was slipped onto his wrist.

"This agarwood bracelet is a gift for you. After being in the Imperial Prison for so long, your spirit might be damaged; I heard from a master that this can calm the mind."

Cheng Ge thought of himself as a tactful official who knew how to say the right thing to the right person.

A kind word warms three winters; harsh words chill even in June; one must not be the bad guy.

Quick as a flash, he swallowed the venomous words he was about to say and grabbed Zhou Zhan's arm.

"Ah ha ha... Your Highness bears the fate of the nation, so your servant naturally thinks of you every moment."

As he spoke, he pinched the agarwood beads with his fingertips, unable to hide the smile in his eyes.

This was true patronage; he made up his mind! He would be the Crown Prince's best friend for life.

When Zhou Zhan heard Cheng Ge's words, he felt very pleased inside, but his face didn't show it.

"I heard you are preparing for the autumn hunt; if there's anything you don't understand, you can come to the Eastern Palace and find me."

Cheng Ge nodded frantically, smiling with a standard eight-tooth grin, "To receive such care from Your Highness, I'm really grateful."

Seeing him like this, Zhou Zhan's heart beat a little faster, and he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

Before Cheng Ge could reply, Zhou Zhan rushed off.

"How far must I go to enter your heart? How long until I can draw near to you?

The one who is near yet unreachable is also waiting to meet you.

A wandering planet, how can it ever have you~"

Holding the agarwood bead bracelet gifted by the crown prince, Cheng Ge was in a good mood, humming a tune as he headed toward Wanfu Tower.

He had heard that the new Guanghan Cake at Wanfu Tower was very popular, so he decided to buy some to try.

The Guanghan Cake was very popular; as soon as Cheng Ge entered, he saw many servants lining up.

After waiting in line for a while, he finally bought the cake. Holding a piece, Cheng Ge ate it as he carried the food box and walked out.

The taste was quite good, a bit like modern snow skin mooncakes.

Just as he stepped out of Wanfu Tower, he heard a commotion.

Cheng Ge instinctively turned his head to look, but before he could see what was happening,

a figure suddenly hurtled straight toward him.

Cheng Ge: "!!! What the fuck!"