TSWPF -Chapter 254 Rage

Hearing Mr. Luo’s words from behind, Li Qingling pressed her lips together and smiled faintly. Clothes she had made herself being liked this much by others gave her a strong sense of accomplishment.

Liu Zhimou reached out and hooked his finger around Li Qingling’s hand. When she turned her head to look at him, he smiled and gave her a playful wink.

Hearing his grandmaster praising the robe his wife had made for him made him happy as well.

His wife was so outstanding—as her husband, he felt deeply proud.

“When will my wife make a couple of robes for her husband?” Looking at the new robe his grandmaster was wearing, he suddenly felt a bit envious and jealous.

As her husband, it felt like he hadn’t received clothes made by his wife for a very long time.

Li Qingling stood on tiptoe and whispered softly into his ear that she would make them for him next time she had some free time.

“Wife, you’ve said that to me many times already. Next time, and the next next time… who knows what year of the monkey and month of the horse it’ll be before I get new clothes from you.”

“…” Had she really said it that many times? Li Qingling smiled awkwardly. “Once I’m done being busy these next couple of days, I’ll definitely make them for you, alright?” She had to remember this, or Liu Zhimou would start nagging her again.

Liu Zhimou let out a soft “hmph,” taking it as an agreement.

“What are you two whispering about so happily?” Mr. Luo turned his head and saw Li Qingling and Liu Zhimou smiling as they talked. Helplessly, he called out, “We’re getting on the carriage—walk a bit faster.”

The Emperor watched with a smile and said their relationship was truly good.

Seeing them made him feel a little envious. But as the Son of Heaven, he could never possess such feelings.

No matter how well the concubines treated him, there was always an ulterior motive behind it. There was not a single one who loved him purely as a person.

Hearing the envy in the Emperor’s tone, Mr. Luo said calmly, “Where there is loss, there is gain; where there is gain, there is loss. It depends on how you look at it.”

As Emperor, it was impossible to favor only one consort. He had to distribute his affections evenly.

This was also to balance the interests of all sides.

Though he felt some sympathy for his eldest disciple, there was nothing he could do to help him.

The Emperor had obtained supreme power, and with it, he had to endure the loneliness of standing at the very top.

The Emperor gave a bitter smile and nodded.

“Grandmaster, Xiao Ling and I will take the carriage at the back.” They didn’t dare sit in the same carriage as the Emperor—it would make them uncomfortable.

Mr. Luo hummed in acknowledgment. Watching the two of them board their carriage, he then turned and stepped into his own.

He had just sat down inside when he heard the Emperor say, “Teacher, my nephew really looks exactly like his father—like they were cast from the same mold. If not for the age difference, I would truly think he was my junior brother.” He was simply too similar.

Mr. Luo snorted and shot the Emperor a dissatisfied glare. “Your Majesty, during the spring examination, you must not show him any favoritism. He must rely on his own ability.” After a pause, he added with some pride, “He has that ability.”

Liu Zhimou’s essays were quite good. With his guidance to make up for what he lacked, they would become even more perfect.

“Teacher, what kind of person do you take me for?” the Emperor protested unhappily. “The spring examination is meant to recruit talent—how could I possibly mess around? It’s just… is he really as impressive as you say?”

“Didn’t I tell you last time?” Mr. Luo replied. “Though his intellect is not as dazzling as that of your junior brother, he is still a rare and intelligent child.” Genius often meets an early death—his youngest disciple had been too intelligent, which was why he passed away so young.

He was actually relieved that Liu Zhimou was not as brilliant as his father. That way, he would surely live a long and peaceful life.

Hearing this, the Emperor nodded happily. That was good—he had gained another capable talent.

Seeing the Emperor’s delight written all over his face, Mr. Luo pressed his lips together and did not pour cold water on him.

From Liu Zhimou’s words, he had sensed that Liu Zhimou did not wish to enter officialdom. He seemed to only want to be a teacher.

Whatever decision Liu Zhimou made, he would fully support it. He felt there was nothing wrong with being a teacher—educating more students who could truly work for the court was an excellent thing.

This temperament was somewhat similar to his father’s. His father also disliked entering official service.

Back then, the Emperor had gone to persuade his father almost every day, but each time his father firmly refused, saying he truly did not want to enter the court—he only wanted to live freely.

Seeing how resolute his attitude was, the Emperor had no choice but to let him be.

However, whenever the Emperor encountered problems he couldn’t resolve, he would always come to consult his wise junior brother.

Each time he received answers from him, the Emperor would regret it once again and revive the thought of pulling him into court service.

Yet before he could say anything, his junior brother would block him so thoroughly with words that he had no way to force the matter.

Back then, his junior brother refused to enter court to serve the dynasty. This time, he was determined to pull his junior brother’s son in and make him do both his own share and his father’s.

But after the spring examination, when the Emperor learned of Liu Zhimou’s decision, his heart nearly shattered.

For now, however, he knew nothing of this and was still plotting how to exploit Liu Zhimou.

“Your Majesty, when conditions permit, some people need to be suppressed,” Mr. Luo changed the subject and spoke of court affairs.

“I know, Teacher. This time I’ll weigh things carefully.” Teacher had created opportunities for him twice now—he naturally had to seize the chance to suppress those overly arrogant people.

Otherwise, they would truly think that he, the Emperor, dared not do anything to them.

If those people were not so arrogant, he would have turned a blind eye and left them alone.

But over the years, his tolerance had only caused their ambitions to grow. They had begun to show little regard for him as Emperor.

Mr. Luo personally poured two cups of tea, pushing one toward the Emperor. He picked up the other and sipped slowly before speaking again, “I’m afraid you’ll have to put more effort into talking things through with the Empress as well.”

“There’s no need for me to say anything—she probably already knows,” the Emperor said leisurely, taking a sip of tea and snorting. “Teacher, don’t you know what kind of person she is? She definitely won’t come and make trouble for me.” No one was smarter or more magnanimous than his Empress. She would never come to him over matters concerning the Duke’s residence.

He could even guess that she would find an opportunity to warn the Duke’s residence to rein themselves in and not go too far.

He and the Empress had been married since youth and had walked together for decades. He could already see through her thoughts clearly.

Although he admired her intelligence, he also hated it. Truly, the palace lacked nothing but clever people.

Dealing with these clever people day after day truly exhausted him.

Mr. Luo raised an eyebrow and said nothing more.

This was a matter between husband and wife—it was not for him to say too much. Let them resolve it themselves.

…

And on the Empress’s side, things were exactly as the Emperor had said. She had already known about what happened at the Jingzhao Prefecture. After listening to what her aunt reported, she was so angry that she smashed another vase.

Foolish—utterly foolish. How could she have such a foolish father?

He actually dared to lie in front of the Emperor. Was he tired of living?

If he died, so be it—but he must not implicate her and Yi’er.

It seemed that this time, she could not avoid thoroughly rectifying the Duke’s residence.

“Nanny, you personally go to the Duke’s residence and bring my mother and that fifth younger sister-in-law into the palace. I want to see them.”

The nanny was the Empress’s wet nurse and originally from the Duke’s residence. Sending her was most appropriate.

The nanny responded with a “yes” and advised the Empress a few more words, urging her not to be too angry and to take care of her health.

Only after the Empress acknowledged did the nanny leave with peace of mind.

Not long after she left, the Crown Prince arrived.

“Your son pays respects to Mother.”

“Quickly rise. There’s no need for such formality here,” the Empress said. Seeing the Crown Prince, the anger on her face eased somewhat. She pulled him to sit beside her. “Have you been working too hard lately? Mother sees that you’ve lost weight again.”

The Crown Prince sat upright and shook his head gently, saying it wasn’t hard.

He lifted his eyes to look at the Empress, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Mother, I just heard about the matter concerning the Duke’s residence. Is it true?”

The Empress frowned slightly and asked who he had heard it from.

The Crown Prince pursed his lips. “I heard it from Second Brother.” He then recounted everything in detail. “Mother, did Grandfather really do this?” If it were true, he didn’t even know what to say.

He had previously heard rumors of the Duke’s residence acting arrogantly, but he felt those matters were harmless and paid them little mind. He hadn’t expected things to become this serious.

Where did Grandfather get the nerve to deceive Father Emperor?

If he truly angered Father Emperor, even a hundred heads wouldn’t be enough to be chopped off.

The Empress’s expression darkened. After all, that was her own father. Him doing something so unreliable was no different from slapping her in the face. She could already imagine how the other consorts would behave when they came to pay their respects tomorrow.

They were probably already mocking her behind her back, thinking she had a father as stupid as a pig.

“Royal son, don’t concern yourself with this matter. Mother will speak to them.”

“…Alright.” Since Mother had spoken, he couldn’t embarrass her. He would wait and see—if it truly didn’t work, then he would step in.

Not wanting to dwell on the matter, the Empress changed the subject and asked about the Crown Princess.

“She’s in fairly good condition. Hopefully, she can give birth to a royal grandson in one go.” He still didn’t have a legitimate son and had long been hoping for one.

The Empress hummed in agreement and carefully instructed him to ensure the Crown Princess’s safety so she could give birth smoothly, without any mishaps.

At this critical moment, absolutely nothing could go wrong.