Chapter 201
Chapter 201
“I-It’s… raining!!!”
Thunder boomed. One drop after another soaked into earth that had gone dry through its long wait for rain.
The people who had suffered through the drought fell to their knees and kissed the ground. Tears mingled with rainwater, streaming down their cheeks and splashing into the soil.
“State Preceptor!”
“State Preceptor!!!”
The roar of the rain, the sound of weeping, and the grateful people kneeling before her burned themselves into Zhiyu Jiang’s heart. The impact reverberated through her chest.
The gray-robed youth stood behind her holding an umbrella. Hidden by the angle of its rim, he gave a bored yawn.
His shoes were soaked through. How annoying.
“Master, it is time to go down,” he called. His bored expression vanished, leaving his voice perfectly calm.
Only then did Zhiyu seem to come back to herself. She turned stiffly. “Mm.”
Xiaosui paused. “Master, your arms and legs are moving on the same side.”
Zhiyu: “…Shut up.”
Xiaosui: *Holy shit. The female lead even speaks foreign languages? How cosmopolitan!*
When Zhiyu descended, the County Magistrate looked at her as though she were a living immortal. He seemed one breath away from dropping to his knees, knocking his head against the ground a few times, and lighting incense to worship her.
Zhiyu: “…”
That was more than a little ducking unnecessary.
“County Magistrate, it is already noon,” Xiaosui suddenly said.
The County Magistrate finally seemed to remember something. “Oh, right… This lowly official was so careless! Quickly, quickly! Prepare the meal!”
“State Preceptor, this way, please.” The County Magistrate smiled.
Zhiyu nodded. “Many thanks.”
As she spoke, she shot Xiaosui a glance.
He was absolutely the one who wanted lunch!
…
Yong Kingdom.
“Guard Li, please try to persuade His Majesty.” Shan Hai sighed. Compared with yesterday, he seemed to have aged several years.
Rong Li sighed as well.
How was she supposed to persuade him?
When Jian Zhang had first tossed that miniature version of His Majesty into her care, she had thought His Majesty had fathered an illegitimate child somewhere.
His Majesty had been so much easier to handle as a child.
Apart from eating and using the privy, all he did was look for Shengsheng.
Not like the adult version. The first thing he had done after returning to his original size was bury himself in state affairs. He even ate in the imperial study while doing his best to destroy his own health.
At this rate, would His Majesty become the first emperor in Yong Kingdom’s history to work himself to death?
Rong Li’s head ached just thinking about it.
“Rong Li.” An authoritative voice came from inside.
Rong Li exchanged a look with Shan Hai, sighed one last time, and walked in.
“Your Majesty, this subordinate is here.”
Siran Ming raised his face from a stack of memorials half as tall as a man. Deep shadows ringed his eyes.
He stared at her for a moment. “Is that guard of Weiqing Song’s still clinging to your residence?”
Rong Li had not expected him to ask about this. “Guard Zhang’s… injuries still haven’t improved.”
Siran gave a cold snort. “That brat is up to no good.”
Rong Li immediately straightened. “Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will never allow him to find any confidential documents.”
For an instant, Siran’s expression turned complicated.
Indeed, this subordinate he had trained from childhood was capable of nearly anything.
Love was the sole subject he had never taught her.
“What is happening with the barbarians?” he asked.
Rong Li selected the most important details from the recent turmoil among the barbarians and reported them.
Siran nodded. His gaze suddenly went distant, focusing on nowhere at all, while his fingers unconsciously brushed the sachet hanging from his waist.
“It is time the barbarians disappeared from this continent,” he said calmly.
Startled, Rong Li jerked up her head. “The barbarian High Priest is missing, and their entire nation has been left leaderless. Both Zhen Kingdom and Zhu Kingdom are eyeing such a large piece of meat. Does Your Majesty intend to act… now?”
Siran Ming walked to the window with his hands behind his back and opened it. A refreshing breeze swept inside, carrying away some of his exhaustion.
“The weather is turning cold. It is time for the barbarians to die.”
Rong Li: “…”
What direct connection was there between those two things?
“By the way, Your Majesty, regarding the truth behind Miss Yanyan Yu’s death… do you truly not intend to continue the investigation?”
Siran closed his eyes. “Shou Xiong has already confessed everything. There is no need.”
Rong Li lowered her head.
Fate truly made fools of people.
The two most important women in His Majesty’s life had both died at Shou Xiong’s hands.
…
The Fifth Princess brightened the moment she saw Shengsheng Zhou and trotted happily toward her.
Terrified, Shengsheng hurriedly backed away. “Wait, wait, Fifth Sister! You stepped in cow dung!”
The Fifth Princess: “…”
Beside them, the Second Princess, armored from head to toe with only her eyes exposed, burst into laughter.
Shengsheng gave her a look of disgust. “What are you so happy about, Second Sister? There’s cow dung on your cuff.”
“Someone! The Second Princess has fainted! Summon the imperial physician! Hurry, summon the imperial physician!!!”
Shengsheng watched coldly as the Second Princess rolled her eyes and collapsed. Then she hurried away from the danger zone.
The stench of cow dung was suffocating her.
Even in her previous life, she had been a born-and-bred city kid. This was truly her first time doing farmwork.
They were working on a country estate outside the capital.
Make no mistake: the owner behind the estate was Weiqing Song, and he was the ultimate beneficiary of all their labor.
*Crown Prince Brother, how can you be so heartless? It has been days! Aren’t you going to visit your beloved little sister even once?!*
Weiqing covered his mouth and sneezed.
He rubbed his nose.
Was it his imagination? Why did it feel as though he had been sneezing more and more often since Shengsheng left?
The young eunuch behind him thoughtfully draped another robe over his shoulders.
The subordinate kneeling on the floor continued his report. “Young Master Yunxi’s real name is Yunxi Zhang. His family once traded in cloth, and he originally had an elder brother, but the boy went missing in an accident many years ago.”
“An elder brother?” Weiqing repeated with faint mockery, tapping one finger against his armrest.
The subordinate looked up to gauge his expression, then continued. “After the family went bankrupt, his father, Bochan Zhang, hanged himself. His mother followed soon afterward. Unable to repay the crushing debt, Yunxi Zhang was sold into a male brothel.”
Weiqing: “Is that all?”
Thinking him dissatisfied, the subordinate immediately said, “This subordinate’s abilities are limited. That is all I was able to discover.”
Weiqing fell silent.
“Then, Your Highness, this Young Master Yunxi…” The subordinate drew a finger across his throat.
Weiqing answered with something else entirely. “Send word to Jian Zhang and tell him to get his ass back here, unless he intends to extend his leave for the rest of his life!”
“This subordinate obeys.” The man lowered his head.
Only after everyone had withdrawn did Weiqing relax his back and lean into his chair.
Someone with exactly the same face as him…
A male prostitute sharing the face of the incomparably noble Crown Prince would probably strike anyone as an extreme offense.
Weiqing, however, was fine.
Aside from his initial anger, he now found the matter interesting.
He had even gone to the Empress and indirectly asked whether he might have a younger brother who had been lost outside the palace.
Naturally, that had only earned him a tearful and utterly absurd, “Do you not want to be Crown Prince anymore?”
Counting the days, Fusheng Duan should have reached his destination by now…