I have to say, General Zhao has a sharp observation. Qin Yuanxi didn’t want to admit it and tried to brush it off with a laugh, but Zhao Tuo remained calm. After Qin Yuanxi spoke a few words, he couldn’t continue with the bluff, and the situation became awkward.
Playing with the small wontons in his bowl, Qin Yuanxi felt that he might be in trouble. First of all, he had no idea about the person in front of him, and the book provided no information, which made Qin Yuanxi inexplicably nervous when facing Zhao Tuo. He was afraid that he might be defeated by General Zhao before he even had a chance. After all, it was a feudal society, and who knows what kind of act of regicide1A person who kills or takes part in killing a king. he might commit.
However, on the other hand, Zhao Tuo’s attitude towards him was also peculiar. Qin Yuanxi always felt that when Zhao Tuo looked at him, his gaze resembled that of a loyal minister, the kind who was willing to go through fire and water for his sovereign without hesitation.
As Qin Yuanxi now bore the identity of a puppet emperor, which minister would genuinely risk their lives for him? Prince Lu held power in the court, anyone with eyes could see that. Who even knew who Qin Yuanxi was?
But if you say he’s acting, then his acting skills are outstanding. Besides, is it necessary to act with a puppet emperor like him? What’s there to act about? It’s just a waste of talent.
“Your Majesty shouldn’t act impulsively. This empire cannot survive without Your Majesty. Your Majesty must prioritize the stability of the empire and refrain from such rash actions!”
“Once Your Majesty leaves the palace, the court will undoubtedly be unstable, and the scattered will of the people will lead to great calamity!”
Qin Yuanxi scooped up a bite of the wontons, feeling extremely satisfied. If I hadn’t read the script, I might have believed you. But as a mere puppet emperor, what kind of nonsense is it to have such ability?
He thought like this, but he definitely couldn’t say it out loud.
“Well, with Prince Lu in the court, all important matters naturally fall under his jurisdiction. I just wanted to go out and have some fun for a day or two. I’ll be back soon. General, if you’re worried, you can simply accompany me.”
Just follow him for now. When there’s an opportunity, I can secretly slip away. Now I’ll enjoy the scenery a bit more. It’s a good deal.
“Lu’s ambitions are boundless. Your Majesty, how can you hand over the court to him? Your Majesty, you can’t!”
Qin Yuanxi choked on his food, looking at Zhao Tuo in surprise. This guy is too sincere, isn’t he?
Lu Bohuan’s current position is not much different from that of the emperor. How dare he directly call Lu Bohuan a thief? My goodness, where did this person come from? He’s so audacious!
“Do you dare to insult the Regent Prince like this? Aren’t you afraid of losing your head?”
“He dares!” Zhao Tuo slammed his sword on the table. “I can take his dog life with one strike!”
Qin Yuanxi couldn’t eat the wontons anymore. He looked at Zhao Tuo, who was filled with righteous indignation, as if he wanted to kill Lu Bohuan right away. This time, he was genuinely astonished.
After a brief consideration, Qin Yuanxi spoke, “Well, let’s temporarily set aside the matter of Prince Lu. It’s not urgent. I’ve come out for a rare visit, and I should experience the suffering of the common people. If I go back just like that, wouldn’t it be a waste?”
“But Your Majesty—”
Zhao Tuo wanted to advise further, but Qin Yuanxi put down his spoon. “What? You won’t listen to what I say anymore?”
“I dare not.” Zhao Tuo looked a bit frustrated. “I will obey Your Majesty’s orders.”
So obedient, huh? If I had known he would be this obedient, why did I bother so much?
“Let’s settle the bill.”
With one worry resolved, Qin Yuanxi’s mood instantly became delightful. He stood up and patted his waist, but his expression suddenly changed. He searched around, left and right, but found nothing. Then he looked up at Zhao Tuo. “Do you have any money on you?”
“The money pouch, wasn’t it in Your Majesty’s possession?” Zhao Tuo innocently shook his head, “I don’t have it.”
It was Qin Yuanxi who had the money pouch. He had intended to run away and wanted to have the travel expenses prepared. So he immediately took control of the financial power. But now that the money pouch was gone, Qin Yuanxi instantly deflated.
“It was stolen.”
“What do we do now? We still have to pay for the dumplings, right?” Without a single coin on them, they couldn’t move an inch. This was truly a case of premature victory leading to defeat. Why did he hang the money pouch on his waist? Such an important thing should have been kept safe in his pocket!
“Do you have any spare change on you?” Qin Yuanxi had placed all his hopes on Zhao Tuo.
As a high-ranking general, he must have carried money when going out, right? But Zhao Tuo really didn’t have any. His pockets were as clean as his face. They looked at each other, and in the end, Qin Yuanxi came up with an idea, “Do you have anything valuable? What about my hairpin? Is it made of gold?”
Qin Yuanxi had obtained his current outfit from the main palace gate. There was only the hairpin on his head that might be worth something. He was about to take it off when Zhao Tuo firmly grabbed his wrist. General Zhao had quite the strength, “Your Majesty, you can’t!”
Then Zhao Tuo took out a jade pendant from his pocket and called the shopkeeper to have it pawned.
That settled the bill.
“Is your jade pendant valuable?” Qin Yuanxi was not familiar with jade. He glanced at it briefly but couldn’t make any sense of it. However, didn’t they say that gold was valuable while jade was priceless? Was it inappropriate to trade it for a bowl of dumplings?
Just as Qin Yuanxi lifted his head, he saw a shop ahead with the character ‘pawn’ written in bold. Immediately, Qin Yuanxi took Zhao Tuo and headed for the pawnshop, saying as they walked, “I’ll pawn this golden hairpin later, and we’ll redeem the jade pendant. We can’t make a loss in this deal.”
Little did he know that as soon as Zhao Tuo heard his words, he stopped in his tracks, his tone extremely serious, “No, it can’t be done.”
“Ah? Why?” Qin Yuanxi, who had been stopped twice already, directly took off the golden hairpin from his head and examined it carefully. He couldn’t see anything special about it at first glance. Did this thing have some special origin? Was it not allowed to be casually circulated outside?
Even though he had only watched a few episodes of palace dramas, he vaguely recalled hearing that articles made exclusively for the palace should not be allowed to circulate outside. Did a hairpin count?
“Your Majesty is the emperor. How can you pledge your personal belongings?” Zhao Tuo said earnestly. It took Qin Yuanxi two seconds to understand his meaning.
General Zhao meant that as an emperor, even if he was about to starve and couldn’t afford a meal, he couldn’t compromise the dignity of the imperial family. He couldn’t do something that would damage his status!
Ha!
Qin Yuanxi didn’t even turn his head and went straight into the pawnshop.
He was planning to run away anyway, so of course, he had to prepare some travel expenses for himself. Who cared about him being an emperor or not? Who still treated him like one? No one did, right?
“Can you give me a valuation for this? How much can you offer?” Zhao Tuo didn’t stop him. With His Majesty’s resolute attitude, he didn’t dare to forcibly restrain him. However, the pawnshop owner, after inspecting the hairpin, had a picky look on his face, “Sir, this hairpin is gold-plated, right? The quality is average at best. I can offer at most twenty taels, no more.”
When Qin Yuanxi heard this, he realized the owner was trying to negotiate the price. He was about to retort when the person beside him placed the sword he carried on the counter, “Pure gold. If you don’t believe it, try it.”
The pawnshop owner immediately trembled, “Let me have another look, another look.”
Qin Yuanxi was delighted.
So it could be done this way. Zhao Tuo placed the sword on the counter, his face turning cold. With an air of ‘don’t believe it, try it,’ who would dare not to believe?
Don’t believe it, try it!
Qin Yuanxi found himself liking this General more and more. He even wanted to run away with Zhao Tuo.
In no time, the shopkeeper returned. This time, his attitude made a complete 180-degree turn. He was polite and respectful, and in the end, they obtained a stack of silver bills and a bag of silver pieces that they bargained for. Qin Yuanxi became cautious this time, keeping the silver bills close to himself. After some thought, he gave Zhao Tuo a few extra ones. It wouldn’t be wise to put all his eggs in one basket. Besides, Zhao Tuo was still by his side, so it was safe!
Qin Yuanxi came out from the pawnshop feeling thrilled. He was very satisfied with Zhao Tuo’s cooperation just now. He patted General Zhao’s shoulder generously and praised him without hesitation, “If it weren’t for you, that cunning merchant would have swindled me.”
Zhao Tuo’s expression didn’t look good at all. It was evident that he was unhappy. He took two strides forward, then turned back and followed closely beside Qin Yuanxi. He signaled for Qin Yuanxi to follow him. Qin Yuanxi was a bit puzzled, “What’s the matter? Are we going to redeem the jade pendant?”
“No, we’re not,” Zhao Tuo replied.
It was nearing midnight, and the bustling market was beginning to wind down. The streets were emptier than before. Zhao Tuo led Qin Yuanxi through the streets, back and forth, until they finally stopped in front of a jewelry stall that was about to close.
“Hey there, young master. Are you buying jewelry for your lady at home? We’re just about to close. You’re our last customer. Take your pick, and I’ll give you a good deal,” the stall owner offered.
Zhao Tuo carefully browsed through the items on the stall, finally selecting a silver hairpin with a simple and elegant plum blossom at the end, exuding a unique charm.
When Qin Yuanxi saw him pick up the hairpin, he understood Zhao Tuo’s intention.
This guy, unexpectedly, had a thoughtful side.
The silver hairpin wasn’t expensive, but Qin Yuanxi felt quite delighted. It was the first time he had experienced such kindness in this world, coming from someone he knew nothing about. This person not only lacked ill intentions but also was quite considerate.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
