The jade pendant was never redeemed in the end. The wonton stall had long closed down, and as soon as midnight struck, the lantern market came to an end. Zhao Tuo realized it was already late and was about to suggest to Qin Yuanxi whether they should find a place to stay overnight. However, before he could speak, His Majesty had already started walking straight towards the city gate.
Zhao Tuo: “Your Majesty, are you planning to leave the city?!”
His tone was filled with astonishment, clearly not within his expectations.
“Is it not allowed?” Qin Yuanxi had learned from the previous lesson that it was more efficient to avoid arguing with Zhao Tuo and simply achieve better results. Sure enough, Zhao Tuo hesitated for a while and could only grit his teeth and follow.
Qin Yuanxi looked at his frustrated expression, chuckled lightly, and said, “Also, don’t call me ‘Your Majesty’ anymore. ‘Young Master’ was just fine before. Stick to calling me ‘Young Master’.”
“Yes.” Zhao Tuo choked for a moment and asked, “Young Master, why do you want to leave the city?”
“Can’t I enjoy the scenery?”
“Sure.”
At the city gate, Zhao Tuo presented the token and then had someone bring a horse.
Qin Yuanxi was dumbfounded:…
Young man, there seems to be a problem with your way of doing things. If you’re so straightforward, how can I run away? Where would I go?
However, it had to be said that Zhao Tuo had considered everything thoroughly. Having a mount would definitely be more convenient than relying on two legs. But the problem was, the quantity of this one horse seemed off, right?
“It would be safer for the both of us to ride together, Young Master.”
Qin Yuanxi: Well, you make a good point. It seems I don’t know how to ride a horse anyway.
Leaving the city in the middle of the night was basically asking for trouble. That was the only feeling Qin Yuanxi had as they spent the night in the desolate wilderness. By now, the sky was already faintly bright, revealing a pale hue in the east. They had been walking south out of the city for most of the night. Both man and horse were tired, so they found a place to rest temporarily.
It had to be said that Zhao Tuo truly deserved the title of a great general, as he had strong survival skills in the wilderness. Not only did he find lush grass for the horses, but he also managed to catch two birds and roasted them over a fire. Although they didn’t taste like much, they were cooked well. If there were some salt or seasoning, Qin Yuanxi thought he might consider kidnapping the great general, find a picturesque place, and open a barbecue restaurant, living a blissful life.
“Young Master, have some water.”
After wandering around for a while, Zhao Tuo managed to find water from somewhere and fashioned a large leaf into a makeshift cup, offering it respectfully to Qin Yuanxi.
Qin Yuanxi was indeed thirsty. After taking two big gulps, he remembered and asked, “Have you had some?”
Judging by Zhao Tuo’s reaction, he hadn’t. Qin Yuanxi handed the cup of water to him and said, “Have a little.”
At first, Zhao Tuo hesitated to accept, but Qin Yuanxi insisted, so he had no choice but to take it.
Qin Yuanxi stared at his face for a while, then looked away, fixating his gaze on the faint light emerging from the east.
Zhao Tuo’s performance was truly exceptional. He thought of food and drink before anything else, displaying a loyal and dog-like attitude. Qin Yuanxi found it somewhat overwhelming, and the more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t bear it. As the sun gradually rose, Qin Yuanxi faced east, while Zhao Tuo was in front of him, with his back to the radiance, looking incredibly handsome and irresistible.
“Zhao Tuo, how does your station compare to the capital?” Qin Yuanxi still remembered Zhao Tuo mentioning that he had just returned to the capital. Since he didn’t know much about this general and didn’t even have any background information, Qin Yuanxi didn’t dare to inquire directly. He had to take a roundabout approach to gain a better understanding of Zhao Tuo’s situation.
“The capital is bustling. How can the wild frontier compare?”
Qin Yuanxi: …Brother, if you say that, then we won’t have much to talk about.
“What interesting tales are there? Tell me about it.” Qin Yuanxi put on an air of casual conversation. As a puppet emperor who had never left the capital before, he hadn’t seen anything about the local customs and traditions. It was only natural for him to ask Zhao Tuo for some insights.
However, to his surprise, Zhao Tuo fell silent again.
And this silence was rather peculiar, as there seemed to be a hint of frustration on his face.
“What’s wrong? Can’t you talk about it? Does it involve some military secret?” Qin Yuanxi had a vague feeling that something was amiss. Zhao Tuo’s behavior was off, and he deliberately spoke with a somewhat displeased tone.
Of course, he could only act this way in front of Zhao Tuo. Although they hadn’t spent much time together, Zhao Tuo’s attitude was quite clear. He was a loyal subject and a protector of the sovereign. That’s why Qin Yuanxi dared to be a little reckless with him. If it were the Prince Lu, he wouldn’t even dare to breathe.
“My… my memory is a bit fuzzy.”
“W-What?” Qin Yuanxi never expected such a situation. He immediately thought of something that wasn’t recorded in the book about Zhao Tuo, and a bold speculation arose in his mind.
He came into this world through a book, but could it be that Zhao Tuo did too? No, wait, even if it’s a book, the person should be mentioned in it. It seems that Zhao Tuo has never appeared in the book, so what book did he come from? Did he travel through thin air?
“What do you remember?” Qin Yuanxi swallowed nervously and cautiously asked, “Besides your station, what else do you remember?”
Zhao Tuo’s expression was difficult to describe, then he shook his head. “I only remember my identity.”
“Remembering your identity is enough,” Qin Yuanxi breathed a sigh of relief. “Tell me what you remember.”
“Zhao Tuo, first-class Guardian General, currently leading the Imperial Guards, protecting Your Majesty, obeying Your Majesty’s orders.”
Qin Yuanxi waited for a long time for such a sentence to come out. “Is that all?”
“That’s all.” Zhao Tuo lowered his gaze, and his mood didn’t seem too pleasant. “I only remember these.”
Just this one sentence? Judging by Zhao Tuo’s expression, it didn’t seem like he was faking it. Qin Yuanxi pondered over this sentence repeatedly, trying to extract some useful information from it.
Being a first-class Guardian General is quite an important position, and leading the Imperial Guards means having both status and military power. This guy is quite remarkable. The most crucial part is that he remembers to obey Your Majesty’s orders. What does that imply?
Could it be a guardian sent from the world of the book? The young emperor in the book was in a rather embarrassing situation, so does this mean they’ve prepared a powerful ally for him?
Of course, Qin Yuanxi was just casually speculating. Emotionally, he certainly hoped it was true, but he couldn’t let his emotions cloud his judgment.
If it turned out to be a person sent by Prince Lu to intentionally lure him out of the palace and then find an excuse to eliminate him, and then choose a more obedient puppet from the royal family, it wouldn’t be impossible.
However, this possibility was relatively small. Firstly, he, as a puppet emperor, was quite obedient and respected Prince Lu. Secondly, even if Prince Lu wanted to kill him, it wouldn’t be necessary to go to such great lengths and stage such a play. That would be overestimating him.
After a short rest, the two set off again. Passing through the town, Zhao Tuo changed the carriage and prepared a considerable amount of essential items. He even brought a bag of dry rations, showing his thoughtfulness and consideration. They roamed the mountains and rivers freely, unaware of the chaos brewing in the palace.
During the morning court today, it was one thing for the emperor to be absent, but the regent was also unexpectedly missing. The ministers were now leaderless. After inquiring, they learned that the regent had left the imperial city with the emperor last night, for reasons unknown.
News quickly reached the guards stationed near the capital that the regent had left the city and headed south last night.
“South? What’s in the south?” The ministers exchanged words, unable to decipher the meaning behind the regent’s actions.
“Could it be that he took the emperor to experience the people’s lives?”
“Possible. The young emperor displeased the regent yesterday, so maybe the regent took him out to see the lives of the common people and urge him to govern with diligence.”
“But why leave without any explanation?”
“The various departments of the court are functioning in order. Each of us should focus on our own tasks. If there are major issues to be decided, we can summon the cabinet for discussion. The regent has been absent from court before. It’s customary to make arrangements accordingly. It’s not a big deal.”
“That’s true, I suppose.”
“Do we need to send people to protect the emperor and the regent?”
“The regent has his own arrangements. Let’s not meddle. With the regent’s skills, he is more than capable of protecting the emperor.” Someone who had fought alongside Prince Lu explained, “If the regent gets involved, it would complicate matters.”
Regent Lu Bohuan excelled both in strategy and martial arts. He provided guidance to the young emperor, stabilizing the court, and led troops to drive away enemies, ensuring the safety of the realm. Both inside and outside the court, he was a remarkable figure. Under Prince Lu’s leadership over the years, the court was thriving, the borders were secure, and foreign invaders dared not trespass. It seemed to be the dawn of a prosperous era.
The only thing lacking was the person sitting on the dragon throne.
A prosperous era requires a wise ruler, but the current emperor was quite disappointing.
Timid and indecisive, he couldn’t make decisions on important state affairs. With or without him, it made no difference in the court. It was truly regrettable. As they say, the capable ones bear the burden. Since the emperor lacked ability, those beneath him had to work harder and worry more.
Qin Yuanxi, who had already traveled far away, didn’t know that the script he held might differ from everyone else’s. Furthermore, no one pursued the emperor even after he fled. Everything was peaceful as if nothing had happened. He started feeling anxious for a couple of days but soon began enjoying his leisurely days of sightseeing and leisure.
Having Zhao Tuo, such a handsome man by his side, made life instantly more enjoyable. They spent their time together like a content couple. Qin Yuanxi was satisfied. If his desire to take Zhao Tuo away was just a thought before, now he truly wished to turn that thought into reality.
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)
