Chapter 34
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In the silence, he felt the breath behind him getting heavier, making Fu Nian somewhat nervous.
It was almost sacrilegious, showing such discourtesy to the Emperor…
He didn’t have time to think much and quickly tried to pick up his clothes from the ground.
However, before he could even bend over, his abdomen was forcefully grabbed, making him stand straight against his will.
“Who allowed you to move?”
Before he could answer, Fu Nian felt a powerful force pressing him against the wall from behind. His shoulders were pinned down, leaving him with no room to maneuver.
Fu Nian instinctively tried to struggle but was further suppressed.
“At first, I allowed you to enter Chengyuan Hall because your limbs are crippled, your disposition is restrained, and your back is somewhat likable when you don’t make a sound. From afar, you have a resemblance to… someone from the past,” Chu Zhaoyi narrowed his eyes, his voice low and very displeased, “If it weren’t for your back, why do you think I’d tolerate your repeated violations of palace rules? Attempting to elope with the Wangfei, injuring royalty, teasing the maidservants of Ze Wang, disobeying orders… Any one of these could get you sent to the Ministry of Punishments for execution. This time, not only did you hide forbidden books, but you also dared to resist being searched—”
Fu Nian hastily explained, “I was just nervous and didn’t mean any disrespect to you. Regardless of who—”
Before he could finish, Fu Nian felt that the same large hand covered his mouth again.
The pressure was even stronger than before, mixed with anger and other emotions.
Subsequently, a sensation he hadn’t anticipated swept over his entire body.
As the blank feeling in his mind gradually dissipated, Fu Nian began to react.
Why would Chu Zhaoyi do something like this for someone else…
“Would anyone else allow you to be like this?” Chu Zhaoyi heard this and tightened his grip again, his face showing a fierce expression as he asked.
This amount of force, if he intended to break free, he could manage it, but it would undoubtedly injure Chu Zhaoyi.
By the time the guards from outside came in and saw him with disheveled clothes and having injured the Emperor… Fu Nian tried to hold on with his somewhat clouded mind, thought for a moment, and nodded.
But right after nodding, he felt the restraint tighten even more and quickly attempted to shake his head.
However, whether it was shaking or nodding, neither seemed to be the correct answer.
The absurdity of the situation didn’t stop.
No matter how hard the hand covered his mouth, he couldn’t help but let out a muffled groan.
The breathing in his ear grew even heavier, “But that’s fine. I originally thought that since you dared to snatch a bride and elope, I thought you were a man of deep emotions and principles, daring and decisive. If your reputation were tarnished, you would rather die as jade than live as tile.”
Intermittent words entered his ears, and Fu Nian could only struggle to find a little breathing space through the gaps between the fingers.
“Actually, I had long wanted you to perform some tasks beyond those of a guard, but previously, I thought you were attached to someone and didn’t want to undertake those tasks,” Chu Zhaoyi continued, intentionally pausing for a moment. A sharp gaze seemed to carry a hint of something else, “I never expected that I was overthinking.”
Listening to these unbearable words, Fu Nian felt powerless to refute.
The familiar breath, voice, palm, and body warmth were enough to shatter his rationality, regardless of which one. Even his breath became labored, and Fu Nian felt his cheeks burning terribly. The mist in his eyes gradually blurred his vision.
He kept pinching his palm, reminding himself that he couldn’t do anything more impolite in front of the Emperor… But Fu Nian was, after all, human. After several rounds of enduring, no matter how much he pinched his palm, the pain receptors gradually became less sensitive.
Eventually, the pain receded, and in silence, Fu Nian clutched his palm tightly. The look of horror was frozen on his face, and no matter how he tried to control it, his body would tremble slightly.
As his consciousness slowly returned, Fu Nian felt his breathing become smoother, and the restraint behind him loosened. He ended up kneeling on the ground, taking in deep breaths.
As his awareness gradually returned, Fu Nian seemed to hear a cold chuckle from behind, which was quite unnerving.
He hurriedly gathered the scattered clothes from the ground and hastily put them on.
While he was fastening the cuffs, a hand suddenly appeared in front of him.
Instinctively, Fu Nian tried to evade, but as he moved slightly, the back of his head bumped into something.
“Clean up the mess you made.”
The voice behind him sounded unexpectedly, and only then did he comprehend what the other meant.
Fu Nian didn’t say anything and quickly found a clean piece of gauze from his person.
“I didn’t ask you to wipe it.” Chu Zhaoyi’s voice lazily reminded, and then his hand approached Fu Nian’s lips, “Use your tongue.”
Looking at the back that bore some resemblance to the figure in his memory, kneeling obediently on the ground, still trembling slightly, Chu Zhaoyi gazed at him in a somewhat dazed manner.
After a moment of silence, Chu Zhaoyi retrieved his hand. He found a handkerchief and started wiping his hand, lost in thought.
No need for him to clean anymore?
Fu Nian realized that the man behind him had left and felt a small sense of relief.
He didn’t say anything, still kneeling on the ground, silently tidying his clothes.
Once dressed, Fu Nian remained on his knees. The flush on his face had completely faded, and apart from slightly disheveled hair, his appearance showed no traces of the absurdity that had just occurred.
“How do you feel?”
Hearing this question, Fu Nian was briefly stunned, wondering if his ears were malfunctioning.
Chu Zhaoyi asked him… how he felt?
Fu Nian suspected he misheard or misunderstood and dared not answer.
“Speak.” Chu Zhaoyi prompted again, his tone seeming much clearer and his mood seemingly improved.
Fu Nian couldn’t fathom what this person was thinking. Just a moment ago, he wanted to kill him, and now he was asking…
“Fear. I feel fear, Your Majesty,” Fu Nian hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.
“Just fear?” Chu Zhaoyi inquired further.
After the question, there was a prolonged silence, and all that could be seen was the figure kneeling, clenching their fists.
“Next time I summon you to the main hall, remember to wear a mask in advance and hide your voice. The forbidden books have been burned for you long ago. This time, I won’t penalize you much, but if there’s another time…”
Fu Nian didn’t hear the rest of what Chu Zhaoyi was saying.
A tense standoff lasted for a while, and then the sound of Chu Zhaoyi’s footsteps gradually faded away.
After confirming there was no one else in the main hall, Fu Nian cautiously glanced back.
Indeed, Chu Zhaoyi had left. The main hall’s door was still closed, but the side door leading to the study was open. Chu Zhaoyi must have exited from there.
Only when Fu Nian was certain he was the only person left did he stand up gingerly.
He remembered that there were several hidden compartments for imperial edicts in the main hall. However, in the previous life, Chu Zhaoyi didn’t seem to use these secret chambers, or perhaps he was kept unaware of them.
Fu Nian decided to investigate nonetheless.
He quickly searched all the secret compartments he knew of, but indeed, apart from spiderwebs, he found nothing. In the end, he had no choice but to leave the main hall in frustration.
At this time, most of the people were on duty, and Fu Nian returned to his residence, tidying up the hair that had been messed up earlier.
The events from not long ago were still fresh in his mind.
Just like in the previous life, Fu Nian couldn’t fathom what this person was thinking. One moment he wanted to strangle him in the main hall, his tone harsh and fierce, and the next moment he was asking about his feelings with a smile… and even hinting the next time.
After rinsing his mouth, Fu Nian finally relaxed his clenched fist, looking at the piece of fabric he had torn from the Emperor’s dragon robe.
It wasn’t that he intentionally tore it, but when he snapped back to reality, the scrap of cloth was already in his hand.
Fu Nian brought the small piece of fabric close to his nose and sniffed it like a dog.
“Lunatic, he’s truly a lunatic,” Fu Nian muttered to himself.
…
Back in the study, after taking a sip of tea, Chu Zhaoyi lit the incense burner and meticulously wiped his hands with a handkerchief. Then he called out, “Chu Yao.”
Immediately, a figure appeared beside the folding screen. “Your Majesty, what are your orders?”
“How is the investigation going? Have you found out the whereabouts of Xi Wangfei?” Chu Zhaoyi, while tinkering with the incense burner, asked with an expressionless face, “She’s my younger brother’s beloved wife after all. Being lost outside reflects poorly on the royal family. It’s been so long, and there’s still no result?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, currently, we can only determine that she disappeared near the mouth of the river outside the capital city. We’ve even employed tracking hounds, and it’s true that her scent vanishes at the riverside. According to nearby residents, they haven’t seen any unfamiliar woman passing by. The river’s water flow is consistently calm, and the riverbed is smooth. Despite searching for half a month, no remains have been found. Initially, we speculated that she might have drowned herself in the river, but now various signs suggest that she might have… used water to escape southward,” Chu Yao reported in a subdued tone.
The fragrance of incense inside the room was strong, and Chu Yao was choked, almost making him cough. He pondered, it was rare to find such a heavily scented and choking incense in the study.
“Water escape?” Chu Zhaoyi showed clear surprise at this conclusion.
“Yes, water escape. But as for the exact location she reached on the shore, we haven’t found it yet.”
Chu Zhaoyi remained silent for a moment, then furrowed his brow and questioned, “Xi Wangfei, from the Qiao family who runs a weaving workshop, has lived in the capital for generations, and their family is relatively affluent. However, the capital isn’t by the water, and on top of that, Miss Qiao was weak from childhood and rarely left her residence. She was a delicate and sickly woman, capable of escaping the capital without a sound, that’s a rare feat. Even if she was educated and intelligent, and knew about water escape, the river’s flow isn’t turbulent. But with her being frail since childhood and raised in the capital, could she possibly know how to swim? Would she dare to do such a thing?”
Chu Yao: “…”
Chu Zhaoyi: “Continue investigating. Dead or alive, we need evidence. If what you’re saying is true, and the trail ended by the river, then either she drowned in the water, or… from the start, she wasn’t alone in her escape. There must have been accomplices.”
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