Chapter 42
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“Guard Lian, please return.” The young boy repeated when he saw Fu Nian hadn’t moved.
Fu Nian didn’t say anything, he just jumped down from the rafters in annoyance.
Confronting the Shadow Guards head-on wouldn’t end well unless he was completely prepared to leave the palace.
Back at the table, he was still considering how to contact Fu Zhen. The scene of Fu Zhen having an episode of illness was vivid in his mind…
For two hours, he listened carefully, yet he couldn’t find any vulnerabilities in the guards’ vigilance.
Fu Nian stood up again and attempted to break through forcefully several times, but each path was thoroughly blocked. Seeing that Chu Zhaoyi would soon be leaving the court session, and he would likely return to the study afterward, Fu Nian gritted his teeth. Ultimately, he was forced to compromise, dipping his fingers in ink and confessing his crimes stroke by stroke.
Writing a self-confession book wasn’t that difficult, he thought.
Writing with his fingers was inevitably crooked and uneven. After filling a page with his writing, Fu Nian observed that the handwriting was completely different from his previous life.
He briefly detailed the times he had met with Fu Zhen before and after the Mid-Autumn Festival, but for the events that followed those meetings… Fu Nian turned himself into a greedy villain who blackmailed Fu Zhen for money, completely concealing his actual transactions with Fu Zhen. He omitted the investigations into the frost-cold ginseng, breaking into the Imperial Bedchamber, and other more extreme actions.
He also wrote that his visits to Fu Zhen were driven by his fear that if Fu Zhen died, he would lose his ill-gotten wealth. He portrayed Fu Zhen as a brotherly figure who treated him well, essentially portraying himself as someone driven by greed and desire.
After finishing, Fu Nian reread his writing. The logic was coherent enough, so he stood up and handed it to the eunuch by his side.
“His Majesty said that you need to wait here until he returns and personally reviews this before you can leave.”
Hearing the eunuch’s kind voice, Fu Nian felt defeated and sat back down.
It was almost noon, and according to expectations, Chu Zhaoyi should have already left the court session. However, there was no sign of his return.
Fu Nian sighed from time to time, his fingers constantly stirring the ink. Occasionally, he would press down on the inkstone in frustration, and his kneeling posture shifted every now and then.
If he had known it would come to this, he should have been more cautious when everything was going so smoothly. Fu Zhen calling him that old fox, he really hadn’t misjudged anything.
Waiting until evening, Fu Nian finally noticed familiar footsteps. He immediately knelt down, placing what he had written earlier on the table and bowing his head in silence.
As Chu Zhaoyi entered, he discreetly raised his eyes. Chu Zhaoyi walked quickly to the bookshelf, searching for something. Li Gonggong promptly ground ink for him, and both of them remained silent, their expressions stern.
Chu Zhaoyi’s aura of authority without anger was quite oppressive. Fu Nian didn’t dare to speak without permission, so he continued to sit obediently.
“Send this to the Ministry of War and make another copy to send to Dou Shen. Also, make a copy of General Dou’s memorial for him.” Chu Zhaoyi paused his writing, handing the scrolls to Li Gonggong beside him. He continued to write at a fast pace.
“Send this to Ze Wang as quickly as possible. Also, ensure timely reporting after the doctors are mobilized.” After giving these orders, Chu Zhaoyi wrote a few more lines before hastily putting down his brush and preparing to leave the study.
Fu Nian didn’t know what was happening, so he could only follow Chu Zhaoyi’s movements with his eyes.
As Chu Zhaoyi reached the doorway, Fu Nian couldn’t hold back and spoke, “Your Majesty.”
His address as “Your Majesty” might not have been appropriate at the moment, so he quickly lowered his body even more.
Chu Zhaoyi halted.
“I have written down all my crimes over the past few days. May I request permission to leave—” Fu Nian hadn’t finished speaking when he saw Chu Zhaoyi exchange a couple of words with the eunuch guarding the study. Without looking back, Chu Zhaoyi walked out, completely ignoring him.
Fu Nian: …
He thought for a moment, recalling that Chu Zhaoyi had mentioned Dou Shen—General Dou’s adopted son. General Dou was stationed in the northern border all year round, and he had been a loyal subject under Chu Zhaoyi even before he became Emperor.
There must be some military issue.
Given Chu Zhaoyi’s temperament in the past, when it came to matters of state, he would get angry if others mentioned unrelated matters.
Fu Nian had thought that Chu Zhaoyi would scold him or even punish him for interrupting.
However, this time, Chu Zhaoyi surprisingly didn’t get angry and didn’t tell him to leave. His expectations hadn’t been met.
After a while, Fu Nian heard the footsteps of a eunuch entering.
“Guard Lian, His Majesty has a message for you. He heard what you said just now. However, there is an urgent matter at the moment. He asks that you remain calm and not be anxious. Once the matter is resolved, he will return to the study.”
“Did he say whether I’m allowed to leave?” Fu Nian, feeling agitated after Chu Zhaoyi’s departure, hurriedly asked the eunuch.
He had already spent nearly a whole day here. His patience had worn thin, and Chu Zhaoyi’s departure without addressing his request had made him even more anxious.
The eunuch smiled apologetically. “He said no. You are not allowed to leave.”
Fu Nian: …
He took a deep breath, and his usually expressionless face showed a hint of annoyance. His right hand, usually composed, slammed onto the table as if to vent his frustration.
The table, originally made of wood, trembled slightly under the impact of his stone-crafted prosthetic hand.
Just as he lowered his head and before he could even sigh, Fu Nian suddenly caught a whiff of a delicious aroma.
He lifted his head and saw a palace maid carrying a tray. She was already kneeling in front of him, skillfully taking the scrolls, placing the food tray, and arranging the bowls, chopsticks, and plates.
The eunuch beside him quickly added, “This is prepared by the kitchen under His Majesty’s orders.”
Fu Nian glanced at the food tray in front of him.
There were dishes he had loved in his previous life, as well as ones he hadn’t even touched.
Just as he was about to express his gratitude, the question occurred to him, “Is it permissible to eat in the Imperial Study?”
He distinctly remembered that Chu Zhaoyi cherished the documents and official matters kept in the study, and eating was strictly prohibited there to prevent pests and insects, especially sweet treats. With this thought in mind, Fu Nian glanced at the sweet soup and pastries in front of him.
What if this was another trap?
“It’s allowed,” the eunuch smiled and answered leisurely, “The rule against eating in the Imperial Study was abolished several years ago. Guard Lian’s memory is truly exceptional. Although you were in Xi Wang’s residence many years ago, you still remember the rules of the Imperial Study.”
Fu Nian didn’t respond. Even if his emotional state was a mess, he could tell that this statement sounded somewhat strange.
His gaze shifted to the food, and Fu Nian calculated. The quantity wasn’t too much, and considering how hungry he had been, finishing it all shouldn’t be a problem.
He picked up the nearest bowl of food, disregarding the heat, and was about to pour it into his mouth.
But before he could lift the bowl, his wrist was held down.
“Guard Lian, His Majesty knows that you find it inconvenient to use chopsticks, so he specially arranged for the kitchen to provide silver skewers and a spoon.”
Fu Nian felt the eunuch’s voice was becoming irritating, but he didn’t pay attention. He reclaimed control of his wrist and intended to continue bringing the food to his mouth.
This time, he wasn’t gently stopped by a touch on his wrist.
Suddenly, his left hand throbbed with pain. Fu Nian’s instinctive reaction was to strike back, but luckily he was quick to realize he was in the palace. He had to swallow his pride and set the bowl down.
Fu Nian, despite his calm temperament, grew increasingly impatient as the food in front of him eluded his mouth time and again.
“Guard Lian, eating requires care and attention. It’s rash to handle things this way; you might burn yourself. Also, these silver skewers are heirlooms from the previous dynasty’s royal family. His Majesty, considering your inconvenience, specially—”
Fu Nian didn’t want to listen to the eunuch’s incessant chatter. He grabbed the silver skewer with his left hand and jabbed it into the food, quickly pulling it to his mouth as he jabbed. His eating behavior couldn’t be considered refined, and it was no better than an animal’s.
When he had eaten alone in his previous life, he mostly consumed food that he could hold in his hands. When he dined with Chu Zhaoyi, he would use chopsticks in a pretentious manner, but more often than not, he wouldn’t have a chance to eat on his own and would be fed whatever was given to him.
In less than half a moment, Fu Nian put down the silver skewer. The plate in front of him was completely empty.
Even the dishes he had disliked before were now mostly gone. It wasn’t that he was deliberately avoiding Chu Zhaoyi’s scrutiny; he was just too famished after going hungry for so long.
After finally finishing this chaotic meal, the sky outside had already turned pitch-black. The palace lamps were all lit up, and through the window lattice, the pavilions and halls outside were bathed in a faint golden light, with intricate paintings and carved beams faintly visible.
Fu Nian knew he couldn’t escape and stopped testing the waters. He simply knelt there quietly, gazing out of the window in a daze, waiting for Chu Zhaoyi’s return.
After midnight, he once again heard the familiar sound of footsteps.
He had been locked in the study for an entire day, without a moment’s rest or sleep, and he had been hoping to be released.
When he heard the footsteps, Fu Nian had already started to plan how he would contact Fu Zhen and whether he could take a brief nap after that.
“Tell Little Royal Uncle that he doesn’t need to enter the palace again. He should go back and rest early, and we’ll continue handling matters tomorrow. It’s autumn now, and his health is already frail. How can he stay up all night like this?”
“…”
“Didn’t run away? Or did his escape attempt fail?”
“…”
The voice was getting closer, and Fu Nian had the feeling that the last sentence was directed at him.
Watching Chu Zhaoyi’s silhouette move past the folding screen and sit at the desk, Fu Nian was contemplating whether he should speak up.
“Report—”
Before he could find an opportunity to interrupt, he heard a clear voice coming from the entrance.
Seeing that there was an outsider present, the messenger leaned in closer to Chu Zhaoyi and whispered something.
With his keen hearing, Fu Nian still couldn’t make sense of it.
It was the same in his previous life. Chu Zhaoyi never deliberately concealed anything from him, but he had never let Fu Nian hear even a single complete sentence.
He watched Chu Zhaoyi furrow his brow and hesitate, setting the brush down.
“Distant Moon Sect? What did he say?”
At the mention of his former sect, Fu Nian unconsciously perked up his ears.
Could it be related to Senior Brother?
“…”
“…”
“He’s dead? He’s dead, then bury him, they needed to report such a trivial matter?” Chu Zhaoyi complained irritably. After hearing a few more sentences from the messenger, he waved his hand to dismiss him.
What was this about someone’s death?
Listening to these fragmented pieces of misleading information, Fu Nian had already speculated about many possibilities.
Once the messenger left, he couldn’t help but speak, “Your Majesty, I confess my guilt, and all my crimes have been written down. I earnestly request that you allow me to leave—”
Chu Zhaoyi, hearing the rare hint of urgency in his tone, didn’t let him finish and interrupted first, “You’re in such a hurry to leave, who are you so eager to meet?”
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