This time, when Baozi saw Xiao Tian, without waiting for the latter to come up with an excuse, he volunteered to leave on his own.
Yi Qing was speechless. She called out to him, "Why are you leaving? Don't you want to stay with Mother?"
Baozi looked back. "I'm going to study. The teacher at the academy will check our studies tomorrow."
As he spoke, he winked at Xiao Tian, showing an expression that said "only we understand".
Yi Qing saw it clearly and showed a helpless expression. She wondered when these two had formed an alliance.
Did Baozi still have his mind set on the matter of a little sister?
Xiao Tian told her that yes, he did.
"Baozi said that if you give birth to a little sister, he's already thought of a name for her."
Yi Qing rolled her eyes. "What is it?"
"Dumpling."
Yi Qing didn't know what to say.
Xiao Tian looked at her pouting face and finally burst out laughing.
After laughing, he asked Yi Qing, "Didn't you say you had something important to tell me just now? Go ahead."
Only then did Yi Qing put away her smile and told him about Hu's using the Ruyi Ointment to control Old Madam He.
Xiao Tian's brows slowly knitted together, and his face turned serious.
"Are you worried that if this thing spreads widely, it will harm many people?"
Yi Qing nodded. "Not only that. Even if it doesn't spread widely, think about it. Even Deng Xiao was helpless. What if other important court officials were targeted? The Emperor was worried that Deng Xiao might use the secrets in his hands to control court officials with ulterior motives. Then what if someone used the Ruyi Ointment to control them?"
Worried that Xiao Tian might not realize the gravity of the situation, Yi Qing added, "Even people with strong wills like you and me would find it hard to get rid of it once we're addicted. Do you understand?"
"I'll go and report this to the Emperor right away."
Yi Qing nodded.
If Deng Xiao had said this himself, the Emperor might not have believed him and would have thought he was just trying to excuse himself. But if Xiao Tian said it, the effect would be quite different.
This man wasn't completely muddled by jealousy. He didn't suspect that she was saying this because she liked Deng Xiao.
If he dared to think so, Yi Qing would have smashed him on the spot.
Xiao Dezi paced back and forth in front of the Imperial Study, his forehead sweating nervously. He pricked up his ears to listen to the commotion inside.
When he saw Xiao Tian coming, he rushed towards him as if seeing a savior and whispered, "Why are you here? The Emperor is in a furious rage inside!"
"Go and announce my arrival. Say that I'm seeking an audience." Xiao Tian said.
Xiao Dezi raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat off and forced a smile. "Don't make fun of this servant, sir. If this servant goes in now, isn't it just courting death?"
"It's an extremely urgent matter."
Hearing this, Xiao Dezi didn't dare to joke around anymore. He gritted his teeth, summoned up his courage, and pushed the door open to go in.
"Get out!" Sure enough, the Emperor's teacup was thrown over.
Xiao Dezi didn't dare to dodge. He let the teacup fly past his forehead, then "thumped" and knelt on the ground, bowing his head. "Your Majesty, Xiao Tian is seeking an audience."
The Emperor was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Get in!"
Xiao Tian stepped in and saw Deng Xiao kneeling on the ground, his back straight and his eyes fixed forward.
He also lifted his robe and knelt down to pay his respects. "Your Majesty, Yi Qing said that there's another hidden story behind Commander Deng's matter and asked me to come to the palace to explain the situation."
The Emperor glared at him fiercely. "Speak!"
Xiao Tian calmly told the Emperor everything Yi Qing had said.
After he finished, the Emperor fell silent. The air seemed to freeze.
After a long while, the Emperor said, "Get up."
The two got up and didn't look at each other.
"Deng Xiao, I'll give you three days to find out where the Ruyi Ointment came from. If you can't find out, I'll settle new and old scores with you together. I'll take your head!"
The Emperor's voice wasn't loud, but the authority in it made Deng Xiao realize that he wasn't joking. He meant what he said.
"Your servant accepts the order and thanks Your Majesty."
"Retreat."
"Yes."
After Deng Xiao left, the Emperor took a deep breath. He slumped down and leaned back on the backrest of the rosewood dragon - patterned throne. He even put his feet on the throne and cursed, "Damn it! What a mess of things!"
Xiao Tian picked a chair and sat down. He said to Xiao Dezi, who didn't dare to make a sound, "Bring me a cup of tea."
Xiao Dezi quickly went out to ask someone to make tea. He knew Xiao Tian's preferences almost as well as he knew the Emperor's.
The Emperor looked at Xiao Tian suspiciously again and said, "Do you think Yi Qing deliberately said all this to protect Deng Xiao? Is there really such a powerful and evil thing? If so, why would I need you to pacify the border? I could just spread the Ruyi Ointment over there."
"First of all, you don't have the Ruyi Ointment," Xiao Tian said coldly. "Secondly, why would Yi Qing want to protect Deng Xiao?"
The Emperor snorted. "Do you really think I'm deaf and blind? The Golden - Helmeted Guards you took to rescue people were mine, mine!"
Didn't he know that Yi Qing and Deng Xiao were chatting and laughing merrily, and that she was even carried on Deng Xiao's back?
"Hasn't Deng Xiao been castrated?"
The Emperor: "… And Yi Qing was still a widow in your mansion! Does she care about such things between men and women? Why can't she like Deng Xiao? Women will follow anyone who treats them a little better."
"You sound like you know women very well."
"How don't I know?" The Emperor was indignant. "There are so many women in the harem. I can't sleep with them all, but I've rewarded them all, and they're all grateful to me."
"Try not being an emperor."
The Emperor was left speechless.
Although Xiao Tian didn't admit it verbally, he had already regarded Deng Xiao as his number - one "rival in love" in his heart.
Deng Xiao had feelings for Yi Qing and regarded him as a competitor. His intentions were as obvious as the sun and the moon.
"Let's talk about the serious matter," Xiao Tian said. "If the formula of the Ruyi Ointment, such a malicious thing, spreads, it will cause endless harm."
"Don't change the subject. Yi Qing must know the formula, right?"
"Don't even think about it," Xiao Tian said. "She hates the Ruyi Ointment deeply and will never make it to harm others."
"Giving it to me is not harming others. It's for dealing with enemies."
Xiao Tian shook his head. "Although I don't know why Yi Qing reacts so strongly, I know it's a very unpleasant thing for her. I don't want to force her."
The Emperor indicated that he did want to!
If he could use this thing to control important court officials, would he still be afraid that someone would be disloyal?
Xiao Tian seemed to see what was on his mind and said calmly, "This thing is extremely harmful to the body. It will make people look neither human nor ghost. Civil officials won't be able to hold a pen, and military generals won't be able to hold a sword."
The Emperor immediately changed his mind. "Then forget it."
This kind of thing shouldn't exist at all.
The Emperor looked at Xiao Tian with a half - smile. "What do you think I should do with Deng Xiao?"
Would Xiao Tian fall for it? Of course not.
He said coldly, "The country is yours, and the officials are yours. Why are you asking me?"
The Emperor snorted. "You're no fun. I'll tell you, I don't plan to punish Deng Xiao…"
"I know."
Before anyone could replace Deng Xiao, even though the Emperor had his doubts, he had to use him. Otherwise, it would only harm his own interests.
Even the most supreme position in the world had to be cautious and couldn't act willfully.