Once again, the Emperor directly expelled Hua-Ling from the Ganqing Palace. However, based on the remaining "paternal love" for Hua-Ling, and with the thought of "since you say so then I'll reluctantly believe it", he also gave Hua-Ling two fair and delicate palace maids.
"Liu Shi, I have no hope left." The Emperor pointed at Hua-Ling with a deep meaning as he said, "Take these two with you, and I await your good news."
- You are only to be moved to the East Palace after giving birth to a son, right? Fine, I'll satisfy you.
The Emperor sat behind the table, quietly watching Hua-Ling.
He never thought that his usually amiable and respectable (?) father would do this. Hua-Ling was completely dumbfounded. "Father, are you joking?"
Leaning back, looking at Hua-Ling whose expression was completely off, the Emperor suddenly felt better, even smiled and joked with Hua-Ling, "Can you guess?"
Hua-Ling: "..." Doesn't want to guess.
Unable to discern the true thoughts of his father, Hua-Ling rubbed his face, making his expression appear less foolish. When the Emperor wanted to see how he would react, now composed Hua-Ling, looking as if he had accepted the situation, said, "Father, in that case, I will take them with me." After that, Hua-Ling turned to the quietly standing Steward An and asked, "Steward An, will you need to 'get rid of me' from the Ganqing Palace this time? Or should... Xiao Anzi send me 'off'?"
Familiarity breeds complacence, he would get used to it soon.
Thinking this way, Hua-Ling turned back and asked the Emperor, "By the way, Father, when you said 'get lost', did you mean it literally? If so, then allow me to prepare." It's just "get lost", having been a dandy for many years, he had long lost the feeling of caring about his reputation.
Steward An, who suddenly felt visible: "..." What did he do wrong? Why was he suddenly singled out?
The Emperor, expecting to see a lively scene, suddenly felt his mood sour and became displeased.
The remaining "paternal love" for Hua-Ling was gone.
"Just get lost", the Emperor felt he could say it a second time.
"Get lost—"
"Alright."
So, with the two fair and delicate palace maids, Hua-Ling was sent by Steward An, and "got lost" from the Ganqing Palace.
Standing at the gate of the Ganqing Palace, Hua-Ling turned to look back.
Where his eyes could see, there were only red walls and yellow tiles. He couldn't see the eaves of the main hall where the Emperor was, making him think that the golden-scaled dragon had left this place a long time ago, soaring into the sky and leaving this confined space.
Blinking lightly, just as Steward An, standing aside, thought he was pondering over something serious and dared not disturb him, Hua-Ling suddenly shrugged, his voice filled with a gloating tone, "Well, it's true that facing embarrassment is suffering."
Being so angry, saying so many "get losts," in the end, hadn't made him "get lost."
- Hua-Ling's face could be disregarded, but the Crown Prince couldn't.
Steward An: "..." Didn't want to know who Hua-Ling was talking about with that sentence. Pretending not to have heard anything, Steward An retained his smile, "Your Highness?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Hua-Ling replied with a smile that looked similar to the one on his face, "I'm leaving, you can go back."
Being imitated, Steward An: "..." His expression froze, but the curve of his lips remained the same. He even bent down more respectfully, "Your Highness, take care."
"Sure."
Waving at Steward An, who respectfully watched him leave, Hua-Ling "got lost" from the Ganqing Palace very gracefully, with the two beauties, and went to the Yushu Palace.
When Hua-Ling arrived at the Yushu Palace this time, the Noble Consort Ye was very excitedly playing "eagle catching chicks" with a group of palace maids in the garden...?!
Even when playing the game, the Noble Consort Ye still looked exquisite in her makeup and luxurious in her attire. From time to time, she imitated the eagle's cry, scaring the "mother hen" and making the "chicks" behind the green leaves scream.
The sunlight was not as brilliant as their smiles, and the flowers were not as beautiful as their faces, making Hua-Ling all itchy and unable to resist wanting to join in the fun.
- No, he had to resist.
He cleared his throat, but no one noticed his presence.
After coughing loudly, and still not being noticed, Hua-Ling took a few steps forward and bumped into the Noble Consort Ye who had her back to him.
The sharp-eared and sharp-eyed Noble Consort Ye noticed him just as they were about to collide.
Pausing her steps and twisting her body to avoid Hua-Ling, the Noble Consort Ye frowned and asked very unhappily, "What are you doing here?"
Hua-Ling replied with a bright smile, "Mother Consort, I have brought you two playmates." Saying this, he moved aside, letting the two maids who had been silently following him come into the Noble Consort Ye's sight.
The two maids who had been fantasizing about a life of comfort with the future Crown Prince when taken away by Hua-Ling reached a quick agreement just by making eye contact. But before they could let their spirits soar and imagine a position of stability as the Crown Princess for five years, Hua-Ling had already cut off all their fantasies.
A maid in pink looked at Hua-Ling with tearful eyes, "Your Highness?"
All grievances and sorrows converged in the sound of that "Your Highness," carrying some tender affection in her voice, making it irresistible.
"You..." The other maid in white frowned, her eyes glistening as she gazed at Hua-Ling, and a crystal tear fell from her eyes as she said, "Don't you want us anymore?" As the tear fell, it splashed into small water droplets on the green stone slabs.
That small splash of water seemed to hit the heart of a person.
Hua-Ling felt inexplicably uneasy, "..." He didn't do anything, so why was he being seen as unfaithful?
Seeing everything, the Noble Consort Ye couldn't help but chuckle.
After she finished laughing, the Noble Consort Ye crossed her arms and carefully examined the two maids who hadn't even greeted her.
The sentence may lose some details due to the difference in translation. Here's the translation:
"The powder-clad palace maids are charming and lovely, while the white-clad ones are as beautiful as water lilies, each with their unique charm. However, they all share a common trait—they look very well-nourished."
"It's easy to guess that the current situation facing Huo Ling is caused by the emperor," Yeguifei's eyes turned and she smirked meaningfully as she bumped into Huo Ling's shoulder, "Hey, you're really enjoying your good fortune."
Yeguifei really wanted to see what Huo Ling's reaction would be, but, as always, she was disappointed.
"I feel the same way. After all, who wouldn't, being handsome and wealthy," Huo Ling said proudly, nodding to himself. When the two maids on the side suddenly brightened, he even turned his head and grinned at them, then changed the subject, "But these two are not as good-looking as my A'yue, and Father hasn't given me money. This means that I have to use my own money to support them if I bring them back. It's not worth it. If they make A'yue angry and cause my standard of living to decline, who will be responsible?"
"Father?" Huo Ling answered his own question, even making a disgusted sound, "Obviously not."
Staring into Yeguifei's eyes, Huo Ling asked seriously, "Since it's impossible, what use are they? To be my girlfriends?"
The two maids, who were originally shy, froze, and both turned pale as they quickly knelt down, not knowing what to say, and could only bow their heads.
Although Huo Ling's logic is always different from others, every time you carefully consider it, you will find that he makes a lot of sense, and is always in a position that leaves people speechless, but...
"...You're being very careless with your words," she thought. What kind of words is a prince... no, a crown prince allowed to say?
"Like you are very particular about the way you speak," as if you had standards of your own.
The rest of Huo Ling's unfinished words disappeared under Yeguifei's actions.
Yeguifei reached up and took a lapis lazuli and gold peony hairpin from her bun, then held the end of the hairpin in her hand. She lightly poked Huo Ling's face with the peony flower on the hairpin, "Do you still want your face?"
"Yes, of course," Huo Ling quickly replied, avoiding Yeguifei’s hand with the hairpin, and showed a pleasing expression. "Mother, don't you think your hair won't look nice without this hairpin? Should I help you put it back?" Huo Ling tentatively reached out and pressed the hairpin in Yeguifei's hand, finding that his mother did not stop him. He directly took the flower hairpin from Yeguifei and put it back in its original position.
After putting on the flower hairpin for Yeguifei, Huo Ling tilted his head conspicuously to look at her bun, and even touched his chin thoughtfully, "Yes, you look even more beautiful after putting it on."
As for the incident of the sunlight reflecting on the hairpin and almost dazzling him... it didn't happen.
What's a "face"?
Anyway, his face has always been there.
"Mother, as always, you are as beautiful as a picture."
"Just a picture?"
Huo Ling readily changed his words, "Oh no, as beautiful as a celestial being."
Under Huo Ling's praise, Yeguifei felt very satisfied. She raised her eyebrows lightly, and when Huo Ling kept praising her repeatedly, Yeguifei casually said to let it go.
Feeling satisfied, Yeguifei became very agreeable. She waved her hand, signalling for the head palace maid Lü'e to take the two kneeling maids away, indicating that she would take care of these two beauties in return for Huo Ling's sweet words.
After Lü'e took the people away, and before Huo Ling could say, "If you have something, dear Mother, if not, I'll take my leave," Yeguifei grabbed his collar and said, "Come with me."
"Okay."
After dragging him to a pavilion, Yeguifei let go of him.
The area was spacious, with no one else around, just the two of them. Huo Ling, however simple-minded, knew that his mother must have something important to tell him.
But—
After moving his neck from side to side and finding a spot to sit at the stone table, he couldn't help but complain, "Mother, can you stop touching me all the time? It's embarrassing."
As he grumbled, Huo Ling also grabbed a peach from the fruit plate on the table and started eating.
Yeguifei laughed and patted Huo Ling on the shoulder, almost choking him on the peach meat.
Before Huo Ling could protest, Yeguifei stuffed the remaining peach in his mouth, and with the excitement of sharing a big secret, she patted his head, "Son, do you know how the crown prince died?"
"Hmm?"
Thinking about these recent events, to be honest, she couldn't help but sympathize with the queen.
If it weren't for the crown princess, the crown prince wouldn't have died, the emperor wouldn't have lost four sons, the queen wouldn't have gone to the ancestral temple in despair, and she wouldn't have had her dream of being a carefree, wealthy, and beautiful "crown princess" shattered by the emperor.
The queen, crown prince, eldest prince, third prince, fourth prince...everyone involved in this turmoil was pitiful to the point where sympathy was hard to express.
Except for...
Supporting her chin with one hand, Noble Consort Ye leaned her elbow lightly on the table, tilting her head and studying Huo Ling, who seemed half out of it after listening to her words, hoping to see traces of "the heavens' favored son" from her son who was only a step away from being called a "fool."
So timid, yet so foolishly obvious; no matter how she looked at it, the person in front of her was the son who made her heart ache just by looking at him.
Hmm, how did things develop to this point?
Noble Consort Ye was puzzled.
When Huo Ling came back to her senses, she was met with Noble Consort Ye's gaze, seemingly full of incomprehension and disdain.
"Did he do something?"
"Mother, what are you thinking?"
Noble Consort Ye put down her hand resting on the stone table and instead patted Huo Ling's head. "Nothing, I just can't help but sigh at the blindness of the heavens." Just how blind was the old deity to have found such a son.
Huo Ling: "???" Sure, sigh all you want, but why look at him? Did he do something outrageous?
Ignoring Huo Ling's puzzled expression, Noble Consort Ye, feeling refreshed after sharing the gossip, stood up directly, even stretching in a lazy manner.
As the wind blew through the pavilion, bringing a chilly breeze, Noble Consort Ye instinctively squinted her eyes. "Oh my, I should go take a nap." Glancing back at Huo Ling, who was still seated at the stone table, Noble Consort Ye smirked. "Okay, you can go now."
Even though she still didn't understand how Huo Ling reached this point, it didn't stop Noble Consort Ye from dismissing Huo Ling after sharing the gossip.
Yet to digest the "gossip," Huo Ling, seated at the stone table, was eager to discuss with Noble Consort Ye. "You still haven't told me why you know so clearly, as if you had seen it with your own eyes."
Noble Consort Ye picked up the tea and smiled.
Huo Ling: "Oh."
In a way, Huo Ling and Noble Consort Ye were indeed close, both having the temperament of advancing without turning back.
With all the grievances weighing in her heart, Huo Ling left the palace alone.
On the other side, after Huo Ling left the Qianqing Palace, the chief steward An De reported to the emperor about giving Noble Consort Ye the two palace maids, as instructed by His Majesty.
Sitting at the desk, the emperor was flipping through paperwork, partially listening to An De's report.
Upon hearing about Huo Ling's remarks regarding the "female companions," the emperor accidentally made a deep mark with the imperial brush on the impeachment of the crown prince Huo Ling's improper words and behavior, which unfortunately soiled the part of the paperwork he was in the middle of reading, making it impossible to clearly read the accusations against the crown prince Huo Ling.
This document was totally illegible.
With this in mind, the emperor pushed the paperwork aside and, with a blank expression, asked, "What did he say?"
Under the emperor's emotionless gaze, An De struggled to control his expression and reluctantly repeated Huo Ling's original words, "'What's the use of them? Female companions for me?'"
Emperor: "..."
This time, he truly heard it clearly.
Taking a deep breath, the veins on the emperor's forehead suddenly throbbed.
Though not willing to believe it, based on his recent understanding of the foolishness of Huo Ling, the emperor felt that the other party's remarks were mostly intended to mock him.
"An De, do you think Huo Ling was referring to me?" Losing his composure, the emperor directly sought confirmation from An De, who had followed him for many years, "Why do I have a son like this?"
An De...had nothing to say.
Uncertain how to answer the emperor's question, An De lowered his head and chose to remain silent.
Unsatisfied with An De's silence, the emperor's tone suddenly turned icy. "An De?"
After a moment of silence, An De, feeling helpless inside but maintaining a loyal and considerate appearance, said, "Your Majesty, I cannot guess the crown prince's thoughts." Even if he could, he dared not speak.
"Minion, I don't know what to say."
"You don't know?" The emperor rubbed his throbbing temples, somewhat wearily waving his hand. "If you don't know, that's fine too. After all, even I don't know."
The court had gradually settled down, and he had cleared most obstacles for Huo Ling. However, Huo Ling had always approached the idea of moving into the Eastern Palace with an attitude of postponing it day by day. He was more willing to spend all day at the cockfighting ring in the Bailongyu clothes rather than cultivating relationships with ministers. Every time he felt hopeful, Huo Ling would use a special way to make him understand what despair meant.
Why was Huo Ling, a person like him, his son?
Most importantly, other than this son, he really had no other choice.
He couldn't be angry. He couldn't afford to be angry. If he were to get angry and force Huo Ling, who was currently disheartening, into power, the Great Zhou would truly be finished.
Picking up the teacup from the table, even before An De, who had just changed the tea, could remind him, the emperor took a large sip of tea.
As a result, the emperor, attempting to suppress his anger with the tea, scalded himself, contorting his face with pain, forgetting all about his anger.
When he managed to swallow the tea, which had been difficult to swallow due to the burns, the emperor leaned back, trying to calm himself as he looked at the paperwork, which had completely become illegible due to the vermillion ink, and couldn't help but snort.
"Since he doesn't want women, I might as well just give him a few men."
An De: "…?" Perplexed, An De didn't ask anything but continued to silently reduce his presence, hoping not to be the subject of conflict between father and son today.
...
The next day, when Huo Ling went to the palace early to study, he unexpectedly felt the "paternal love" from his dear and respectable father emperor.
In the study, three more people appeared.
Strictly speaking, these three people were all specifically arranged by His Majesty the Emperor to accompany him in his studies.
The first companion, Huo Can, the eldest grandson of Prince Anle, who was in charge of the Ministry of Rites and was a year older than him. When they were young, he would beat him until he screamed, and he was also beaten by him.
The second companion, Gong Sunxun, the eldest son of the Minister of Rites, and the "top of the four talented scholars in the capital" who never got along with them.
The third companion, Li Zhuang, who came from a farming family, had once confronted him on the road with righteous indignation, and had criticized him for engaging in a "cat and dog battle" in the alley with someone else, only to suffer a humiliating defeat due to misunderstanding.
The influential, the refined, and the humble.
With all three gathered, His Majesty the Emperor, even if he wanted to trouble Huo Can, still maintained the habit of making a decision to achieve two or more goals.
As a result, after losing two beauties, Huo Ling gained three study companions.
Two for three, Huo Ling counted it as a gain.
Gain my foot!
Studying with the three of them was like being publicly executed.
Glancing at Huo Can, who was smiling slyly at him, then passing over Gong Sunxun, who nodded at him and then turned back to continue discussing matters with Grand Tutor Wang Ancheng, and finally seeing Li Zhuang bow to him and stand up straight, ready to launch into a long speech... Huo Ling's scalp was tingling.
Taking a step back, and then another step back.
Without waiting for Wang Ancheng to notice Huo Ling’s presence and introduce the identities of the three people, Huo Ling turned and left the study, heading directly towards Ganqing Palace, moving so fast that once again Little Anzi was left in his dust.
"Father Emperor!"
"I've been wronged!!!"