Since the Crown Prince personally said it was okay, there naturally was no "cannot" in response.
Facing the unreasonable Crown Prince, Huo Pei not only didn't show any dissatisfaction, but even expressed great honor for Huo Ling's request to write a thousand-word essay. He also expressed his gratitude for the behavior that didn't engage in calculation. As for the incident where Huo Ling jokingly asked him to address him as "Grandpa Wu," it was just a trivial episode.
Thinking he had done what he was supposed to do, Huo Pei respectfully stepped aside, but Huo Ling, standing in front of him, didn't move an inch.
"Your Highness?"
Feeling Huo Ling's constant gaze fixed on him, Huo Pei, who wished he could die, couldn't guess the other's thoughts, and could only hope that Huo Ling would give him a clear answer. "Your Highness, do you have anything else to command? Shall I write a three-thousand-word essay? I'll try... No, even if I try, I can't do it."
- Really, he couldn't even do it with his head hanging down, and unable to support himself with a cushion pin. Huo Pei unintentionally showed an extremely terrible look in his eyes. Completely uninterested in what the other person was thinking, Huo Ling lightly sneered and called the other's name, "Huo Pei."
Huo Pei subconsciously looked up and met Huo Ling's gaze. Under Huo Pei's puzzled and somewhat bewildered gaze, Huo Ling raised his hand.
The sunlight filtered through Huo Ling's fingers and fell between Huo Pei's neck. Despite being covered in sweat under the armor, Huo Pei didn't feel hot. When his gaze met Huo Ling's raised hand, he even felt a chill down his spine.
Seeing something, Huo Pei, who was a head taller than Huo Ling, tentatively kneeled down, took off his helmet and held it in his arms. Then he placed his head under Huo Ling's palm.
The part of Huo Ling's fingertip that touched was inevitably damp with sweat. Huo Ling rubbed Huo Pei's head, feeling disappointed with the touch not being as good as Huo Can's, but he didn't show it on his face, and even grinned at the other person.
"Good boy, you truly are my grandson."
Huo Ling was more than three years older than Huo Pei and called him his "grandson": "..." As long as you're happy.
Satisfied in a seemingly inexplicable way, Huo Ling finally moved his distinguished feet and left in the sight of many Imperial Forest Army members.
After the Crown Prince disappeared from their sight, the Imperial Forest Army's acting captain patted Huo Pei's shoulder. "Don't make a mistake next time."
"Boss?"
Seeing that the other person was obedient and had potential, the acting captain, rarely reminded the unfortunate child in front of him, who was caught by Qin Hao and then encountered the Crown Prince's "attack," "Don't make the mistakes you shouldn't make. But for you, being remembered by the Crown Prince might be an honor."
As distant relatives of the royal family, some people, although bearing the surname "Huo," didn't necessarily lead a good life like an ordinary family. Many people had a good appearance, and that was the case for Huo Pei's family. Leveraging the relationship as a brother-in-law of a thousand households, Huo Pei entered the Imperial Forest Army, and relying on his surname "Huo" and his own abilities, he became a member of the security personnel at the Ganqing Palace.
To reach the point where he was today, Huo Pei naturally completely understood the acting captain's reminder. Startled by Huo Ling and not reacting for a moment, Huo Pei came to his senses and gratefully smiled at the other person.
Being remembered by Huo Ling was both unfortunate and fortunate for Huo Pei.
While Huo Pei was pondering how to show his face in front of the Crown Prince and had devised no fewer than ten plans, Huo Ling, who strolled leisurely into the Yushu Palace, after being thrown into confusion by being used as a target by his father and then getting his head hammered with a small hammer by the Crown Prince, was hammered on the head again by the exotic Empress Ye while sitting at the table cracking walnuts.
Different from the Emperor who couldn't catch Huo Ling, an agile monkey, Empress Ye, who was highly skilled in martial arts and had practiced more than a few techniques, catching Huo Ling was an extremely relaxed matter. Even wearing a seven-piece embroidered cloud skirt, it did not hinder her agile movements and precise striking against Huo Ling.
Huo Ling felt extremely wronged, completely not understanding why, after complaining about his father's lack of benevolence and humanity, his mother immediately picked up the hammer she was using to crack walnuts and directly knocked his head before he could react.
"Mother, I'm innocent... Ah, I mean, what did I do wrong?" Huo Ling, who spoke again without thinking, dodged and questioned at the same time. "You can't just hit me every time, I've long passed the age when you could easily hit me."
"I'm now the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince!"
"You can't treat the Crown Prince like this!"
While dodging and running, Huo Ling tried to make Empress Ye understand the inviolable dignity of the Crown Prince, but the effect was not very good. Instead, it delayed his evasion from Empress Ye, leading to a solid blow on his back.
Empress Ye didn't say a word, and there wasn't even the slightest change in her expression. She just threw the brocade and silk mantle embroidered with gold strings that was in her way to the ground, then nonchalantly rolled up her sleeves, held the small hammer, which was very handy, and incessantly hammered Huo Ling all over the room.
At this moment, Huo Ling, who was inexplicably hit, was more like a monkey than when he was in the Ganqing Palace, and it seemed like he was about to scream in distress.
"Mother!?"
Just as Huo Ling, who was at a loss, reached the door and tried to flee from the room that had cast countless shadows over him since childhood, a hand kept as tender as a twenty-eight-year-old woman's gently landed on his shoulder.
Even while delicately scratching his collar with the orifices of her gilded armor, Empress Ye pulled Huo Ling back into the room.
"No!"
Seeing the "boundless freedom" that had suddenly disappeared in front of him and the "hopelessness" that was about to descend, Huo Ling's expression suddenly became despairing, leaving him with nothing to live for.
By kicking the door shut, Empress Ye, holding the small hammer that was originally used to crack walnuts but was now being used for more, slowly walked toward Huo Ling, who was panting heavily on the table.
"Darling, you really are a disappointment..." Even when she infuriated the Emperor to the point that he disregarded his image and chased him around the hall full of beatings, or when she and the Emperor looked at each other with disgust and hatred, she didn't push Huo Jian to this extent.
The hem that is close to the ground and almost three feet long snakes through the chaotic mess on the ground, as Lady Ye Guifei walks slowly, causing Hua Ling to subconsciously take step after step back until his back hits the wall, realizing he can't escape. Hua Ling crouches down directly, holding his head in his hands, waiting for the impending "attack."
But before getting beaten, Hua Ling still has something he hasn't figured out. "Mother, what did I do wrong?" Hua Ling looks innocent and somewhat puzzled, not understanding the reason Lady Ye Guifei is beating him.
Standing in front of Hua Ling, Lady Ye Guifei looks down at her trembling son. She lightly raises her eyebrows and rhythmically taps her palm with a small hammer. When Hua Ling looks over at her, Lady Ye Guifei coolly says, "Recite 'Li Sao' for me. If I am satisfied, then I will tell you."
Hua Ling: "What???"
"What? Can't understand what I'm saying?" Lady Ye Guifei taps her palm with the hammer, frowning impatiently. "I don't have the patience to repeat myself."
"No, no, that's not what I meant," Hua Ling hurriedly explains. "I mean, even if I really recite it, can you really judge whether what I recite belongs to 'Li Sao'? The accomplished Ye Xiao is from the Ye family. I don't think Lady Ye Guifei, who usually writes delicate small regular script but can also write cursive, would be better than me."
Lady Ye Guifei: ... She seems to understand why the Emperor was pushed to that extent.
In a blink of an eye, before Hua Ling can figure out what extremely terrible thing he said, Lady Ye Guifei lifts her hand with the small hammer and begins to beat Hua Ling, who is crouched in the corner, making him doubt life.
When all the dust settles, Lady Ye Guifei, adorned in her magnificent robes, leans against the soft couch by the window, occasionally tapping the walnuts with the small hammer, and sipping almond goat milk. She seems incredibly at ease.
The Crown Prince, who feels wronged and is trembling in the corner, is at a loss: ...QAQ
Realizing that Hua Ling truly can't understand why he's being beaten, Lady Ye Guifei, feeling superior because of her son's lack of discernment, feels incredibly happy. Nevertheless, she sighs helplessly, "Hua Ling, come over."
Hua Ling does not move, still crouched in the corner, not even lifting his head to look at Lady Ye Guifei.
"Hua Ling." Lady Ye Guifei calls out again.
"...Hua Ling," with an aggrieved expression, Hua Ling shifts his body slightly.
Before Lady Ye Guifei can call out "Hua Ling" for the third time, the Crown Prince, who had been huddled in the corner, suddenly sits in front of Lady Ye Guifei at an incredibly fast speed, as if he had never been beaten, and quickly drinks the almond tea prepared for him.
Accustomed to being beaten by Lady Ye Guifei, Ye Xiao, and even the Emperor, Hua Ling, who is incredibly thick-skinned, has grown accustomed to not pondering the reasons for his beatings—after all, it would never be for a reason that would please him.
Hua Ling is totally unwilling to delve into the matter and has no intention of reciting the so-called 'Li Sao'. He drinks his almond tea, eats walnuts, and then takes a bite of green tea mooncake, all without even lifting his head.
Facing Hua Ling, who doesn't even give her a glance, Lady Ye Guifei, leaning against the window, tightens her grip on the small hammer in her hand, trying hard to control her desire to knock the other person's head with it, patiently explaining to him.
"I'm not someone who beats people casually."
While Hua Ling drinks the green tea mooncake, he can't help but think to himself—Isn't she?
Unaware of Hua Ling's inner thoughts, and unable to see his change in expression, Lady Ye Guifei continues to speak, "I beat you because the Emperor beat you."
"Of course, the main reason is—I want to beat you."