The emperor refused to believe in fate. Unable to stand Xiao Tian's carefree and detached attitude, he snorted and said, "Let me take a look. If that princess is too ugly for me to even consider, I'll bestow her upon you."
Xiao Tian said, "… Are you tired of living?"
"The Taoist friend can die, but not me," the emperor replied.
"Then just wait for Yi Qing to deal with you."
The emperor was infuriated and sputtered, "So what if you have a tigress at home!"
"Yeah, it's a big deal," Xiao Tian calmly nodded and retorted in the emperor's angry glare.
The emperor almost fainted from anger.
Xiao Tian sighed and said, "Your Majesty still has so many memorials to read. Take your time. I won't bother you anymore. I'm going to the Drunken Fairy Restaurant to buy roast goose for Yi Qing."
The emperor found his manner even more irritating and said, "Sit there obediently for me. That's an imperial edict."
Xiao Tian walked outside and said, "I'm in a good mood today. I'd like to defy the edict just this once."
With that, he just walked away, leaving the emperor shouting curses behind him.
Xiao Tian couldn't help thinking that he might have been influenced by bad company and learned some bad habits from Yi Qing.
For example, when he was in a bad mood, he would silently compare himself with the emperor in his heart, and then his mood would suddenly brighten up. The woman he loved was very straightforward. She either loved or didn't love. His son was his own flesh and blood, obedient and promising.
Such comparisons were really refreshing. The unhappiness caused by seeing Ran Ran and Xu Maozhi just faded away.
It felt quite good to learn these "bad habits".
"Hey, Xiao Tian, come back!" the emperor roared angrily. "I still have something important to ask you!"
Xiao Tian thought the emperor didn't seem to be lying and slowly walked back.
"Where's the Prince of Zhen?" the emperor asked. "Where has he gone? Didn't he live in your mansion?"
Xiao Tian was surprised and said, "Didn't he submit a memorial to Your Majesty before leaving the capital?"
The emperor was furious and glared at him with eyes as big as bells. "He left the capital?"
Xiao Tian nodded and said, "I thought he had already discussed it with you."
"Discuss my ass!" the emperor cursed. "This bastard is so lawless. It seems that just bringing him to the capital was too lenient. Next time, he should be beheaded on the spot in Fujian."
"Your Majesty," Xiao Tian said calmly, "you two are both sons of the late emperor. So when you curse, don't drag yourself down with him."
If the Prince of Zhen was a bastard, what did that make the emperor?
The emperor said, "… Shut up! I find you more and more annoying since you got together with Yi Qing."
Xiao Tian said, "Maybe this is what they call the couple resemblance. We're getting more and more alike."
The emperor slapped the table angrily and said, "I'm talking to you about something serious! Where's the Prince of Zhen? Did you just let him escape from me like this?"
"Your Majesty didn't say that he should be imprisoned in the general's mansion. So it's completely unfounded to say that I let him escape," Xiao Tian said. "He didn't go back to Fujian. He won't cause you any trouble. He just fell in love with a maid beside Yi Qing. That maid went back to the south to visit her relatives, and he followed her."
The Prince of Zhen was such a reckless person. He didn't even tell the emperor about such a big thing. Xiao Tian was really speechless.
The emperor cursed and said, "Such a useless thing. It's just a maid. Did I ever stint on women for him in the capital?"
But his tone had softened a lot.
First and foremost, he was the emperor. He had to consider the safety of the country. If the Prince of Zhen secretly left the capital and returned to his fief, it would be a very serious matter. But if it was just for a woman, it was just a young man's impulse and not a big deal.
Compared with a scheming brother, the emperor obviously preferred a stupid younger brother like the Prince of Zhen.
"You're useless too," the emperor scolded Xiao Tian. "It's just a maid. He's a prince. If he likes a maid so much, you should just give her to him."
"She's Yi Qing's person. Do you think I can make decisions for Yi Qing?"
"Another useless one."
"I call this being henpecked," Xiao Tian said. "She can touch my things, but I dare not touch her things or her people."
The emperor was so angry that he sputtered, "Get out of here! Go home and kneel on the washboard and drink your foot wash water!"
Xiao Tian burst out laughing.
Yi Qing was bored in the medical clinic. Even Lady Fan and Ran Ran didn't come anymore, so there was even less activity.
She found it strange. The clinic had been open for so long, but hardly anyone came. It was as if there was a shielding net at the door that blocked all the patients. It was really strange.
Just as she was puzzled, Lady Di came with some things.
"There's a skillful cook in the mansion. I liked the snacks she made even before I got married. Try some," Lady Di said.
The exquisite black lacquered carved box was opened. There were nine small compartments in it, each containing a different kind of snack in the shape of a flower. It was obvious that they took a lot of effort to make.
Seeing her almost obsequious look, Yi Qing was quite receptive. She tasted each kind and invited her to eat with her.
"Since you like them, I'll bring you some more tomorrow. How's Baozi doing at the academy? I just can't help feeling sad when I think of such a small child going to study so hard," Lady Di said.
Yi Qing smiled and said, "Studying isn't that difficult. Poor students without charcoal or candles can still persevere in their studies. Compared with them, he's really lucky."
"Learning martial arts is much easier," Lady Di said. "Studying is really hard. I admire those who are good at studying. That's why I was blind back then and fell in love with him."
This "him" obviously referred to the Marquis of Huai En.
"Your grandfather only had me as his daughter. He would give me the moon if I asked for it, not a star," Lady Di sighed. "But he also saw that man's bad character. So the title he obtained for him was also a reminder for him to be grateful and treat me well. It's a pity that a white-eyed wolf can never be tamed. Your eyesight is much better than mine back then."
Yi Qing swallowed the snack in her mouth and said, "You don't object to my relationship with Xiao Tian, do you? You won't feel sorry for Xiao Jinghan because of this, will you?"
Lady Di's expression became a bit strange. She paused for a moment and then said vaguely, "You're my daughter. As long as you're happy, I'm happy."
Xiao Tian, Xiao Tian, when on earth are you going to confess! If you drag me into this and make my daughter hate me, I won't let you off!
Yi Qing didn't think much about it. Hearing the water on the small stove start to boil, she stood up with a smile and said, "I'll make you some tea. What kind of tea do you like…"
"Yi Qing!" A familiar voice interrupted her.
Yi Qing looked up in surprise and saw the curtain being lifted. Zi Su helped the Prince of Zhen stagger in.
The Prince of Zhen had been shot in the chest. The blood had spread all the way.
"How did this happen!" Yi Qing didn't even care about the water and exclaimed. "Quick, let him sit down."
The Prince of Zhen's face was as pale as paper. Obviously, he had lost a lot of blood and didn't even have the strength to speak.
Lady Di made a prompt decision and said, "I have people outside. I'll ask them to clean up the blood. Are there any pursuers behind?"
Zi Su shook her head and said, "There shouldn't be any pursuers for the time being. They don't dare to get too close. This is the capital of the Central Plains."
"Good."