However, Liang Ye didn’t get a chance to retaliate.
The sky, not yet bright, was illuminated by a towering fire. Panicked shouts came from afar, and the urgent sound of the alarm bell echoed throughout the entire palace.
The fire spread rapidly. When Wang Dian descended from the imperial carriage, his face was smeared with the hot wind carrying the smell of smoke.
Liang Ye changed his appearance, leaning leisurely on the handrail of the imperial carriage, not concealing the schadenfreude in his eyes.
“What nonsense is this, how did you guys keep watch!” Wang Dian scolded angrily, looking sincerely at the Xingqing Palace that was about to be swallowed by the fire, “Where is the Grand Empress Dowager! If anything happens to her, Zhen will hold you accountable!”
Wang Dian was angry, but he was a hundred feet away from the burning palace. He looked at the busy fire-fighting black-armored guards and eunuchs, “Whoever can save the Grand Empress Dowager, Zhen will reward heavily!”
“Your Majesty, please calm down, the Grand Empress Dowager will definitely be safe.” A short-sighted little eunuch came up to comfort him.
Wang Dian and Liang Ye looked at him at the same time. The little eunuch was startled and closed his mouth, not daring to speak anymore.
Although it wasn’t good, Wang Dian still hoped that something would happen to this legendary old lady. However, considering the overall situation, he reluctantly agreed to give this old lady a grand funeral.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as he wished.
Jian Ling and Yang Man escorted a middle-aged woman who looked no more than forty out of the fire. Although Wang Dian had not met Cui Yuxian before, he recognized her at a glance.
No other reason, this woman’s aura was too strong. Her makeup on her face was not even a bit smudged, her hand casually resting on Yang Man’s arm. Her sharp, slightly raised apricot eyes slowly swept over everyone present, finally landing on Wang Dian’s face, and she smiled.
Wang Dian clearly felt that Liang Ye was on guard, even eager to reach out and pull him back by his waist. Wang Dian calmly looked at him, stepped forward to salute and said, “It’s good that the Imperial Grandmother is unharmed.”
“Thanks to Jian Ling.” Cui Yuxian raised her hand to touch her temple, “Thus Aijia didn’t perish in the fire.”
“This humble servant dare not take credit.” Jian Ling knelt on the ground, his voice cold, “The Grand Empress Dowager is blessed.”
Cui Yuxian lightly helped him up and looked at Wang Dian, “Ziyu, Jian Ling has made great contributions this time, you should reward him well.”
“Alright.” Wang Dian glanced at Jian Ling, “Jian Ling is young and promising, why not make him a palace guard and let him serve Zhen.”
Cui Yuxian was slightly stunned, “A palace guard?”
“These black-armored guards are not official after all.” Wang Dian said without changing his expression, “If the Grand Empress Dowager can’t bear it, then Zhen won’t snatch someone’s beloved either.”
“You child, always like to joke.” Cui Yuxian lightly blocked his words, “Jian Ling is good at martial arts and honest. If you take him away, Aijia doesn’t know how you will bully him. Aijia promised his father to take good care of him. If something happens, wouldn’t Aijia break her promise?”
“Imperial Grandmother is right.” Wang Dian took the opportunity to step down, “Then according to the Imperial Grandmother’s opinion, how should he be rewarded?”
“This child has been eager to join the army since he was a child, but he was trapped within the palace walls.” Cui Yuxian looked at Wang Dian lightly, “Why not send him to the Southern Army for some experience.”
Such blatant stuffing of people, Cui Yuxian did not use a negotiating tone, but Wang Dian did not want to give in, he laughed, “Jian Ling looks tender, Zhen is afraid he can’t bear this hardship. Moreover, General Jiao is old and it won’t be easy for him to take care of a child. The Grand Empress Dowager has just escaped from death, it’s better to rest quickly, and discuss this matter later.”
Cui Yuxian looked at him and smiled, “Ziyu has really grown up, more and more like your father.”
“It’s time to grow up, after all, the Grand Empress Dowager is eager to find a wife for Zhen.” Wang Dian retorted indifferently.
Cui Yuxian still had a heartache about Cui Mimi’s matter, and the smile on her face faded slightly, “Ziyu hasn’t come to Aijia’s palace for a meal for a long time.”
Wang Dian’s heart sank, and he tugged at the corner of his mouth, “Zhen would like to, but since Imperial Grandmother’s Xingqing Palace has been burned down, there’s no need to bother Imperial Grandmother.”
“No harm, Aijia’s place is always welcoming the Emperor.” Cui Yuxian seemed tired, Yang Man quickly came up to support her, she walked a few steps and then said unhurriedly, “If Ziyu comes to Aijia’s place to ask for soup and talks like this again, Aijia will really be angry.”
Wang Dian stared coldly at her back, his pupils reflecting the surrounding crimson flames.
When he returned to the study, his anger had not subsided. Liang Ye was sitting on a chair with his legs crossed, tossing grapes into his mouth, one by one, and spitting grape skins and seeds onto a small plate on the table.
“Did you wash your hands with dirt just now and eat?” Wang Dian glared at him unhappily.
Liang Ye was inexplicably stared at by him, showing his clean and beautiful paws, “If you don’t peel grapes for Zhen, that’s fine, but you dare to scold Zhen?”
“Didn’t you hear what Cui Yuxian said?” Wang Dian walked up to him, frustrated, “This old witch directly scolded you on the face for being a coward, and you still have the leisure to eat grapes!”
“Hmm.” Liang Ye licked the grape juice on his fingertips.
Wang Dian’s eyes hurt from watching, “Stop licking! Can’t you act like an emperor!”
Liang Ye drooped his eyelids and said, “Zhen is what Zhen is.”
Wang Dian finally understood why his cousin was so angry when she saw her son score three points on a math test. He took a deep breath and said, “Cui Yuxian will definitely not let it go. If she is determined to stuff people into the Southern Army, we will also stuff, and we have to be faster than her.”
Liang Ye casually reached out to grab a grape, but Wang Dian slapped his hand. He covered his hand, looking shocked and wronged at Wang Dian, “Zhen didn’t ask you to peel.”
“Why did Xingqing Palace suddenly catch fire?” Wang Dian looked down at him.
“How would Zhen know.” Liang Ye rubbed his hand, quickly grabbed a grape and threw it into his mouth, rolled the grape in his mouth and spat out the grape skin, “Guess even heavens couldn’t stand her doing evil.”
But soon the truth came out.
Yang Wujiu knelt on the ground, crying as if his father had died, wailing, “I, I just fell asleep, who knew that the sparks would light the firewood, Father! I really didn’t do it on purpose!”
Yang Man kicked him, so angry that his wrinkles deepened by three points, “You evil creature! I let you come to the palace to learn skills, but you, you were lazy to the point of offending the Empress! I will kill you, you disaster!”
“Father! Father, I was wrong! I was really wrong, Father!” Yang Wujiu curled up on the ground holding his head, crying loudly.
Yang Man wanted to cry more than him, he knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing to Cui Yuxian on the main seat, “Empress! This humble servant has failed to teach his son! This humble servant is willing to take any punishment! But begging the Empress to look at the years this servant has served you, spare this boy’s life, this servant will work like an ox and a horse——”
“Alright, alright.” Cui Yuxian sighed, “Just a child who doesn’t understand, it’s an unintentional mistake.”
“Thank you, Empress, for sparing his life! Thank you, Empress!” Yang Man knelt on the ground, kowtowing loudly.
Yang Wujiu held his head, his eyes still filled with tears, watching his father, who was usually domineering at home, kneeling on the ground with blood coming out of his head, but the Grand Empress Dowager still had no intention of letting him get up. Suddenly, he couldn’t tell what kind of feeling he had in his heart, only saying with a crying voice, “Father, stop kowtowing, son will take responsibility for his actions…”
Yang Man glared at him fiercely, making him choke on the rest of his words.
He was pulled up by Yang Man to kneel on the ground, pressing his neck to kowtow with his father. His father was crying while kowtowing, and also pleading for him with tears and sobs. Yang Wujiu’s head hit the cold floor again and again, making him dizzy and confused. He was originally pretending to cry, but later he really cried, clutching his chest and gasping for breath.
Just when he thought he was going to kowtow until he passed out, Cui Yuxian finally spoke, “Alright, get up, what is Aijia calculating with him, just spank him a few times to teach him a lesson.”
Yang Man immediately smiled, kneeling and thanking her for her grace.
Yang Wujiu lay on the ground, seeing his father’s old hand shaking like a sieve in his sleeve.
When the first paddle hit, Yang Wujiu felt like he was going to die, screaming like a pig being slaughtered. After twenty paddles, he felt like he had lost half his life, not even knowing how he was carried back to the residence of the Black Armored Guards.
Jian Ling didn’t let Yang Man into the Black Armored Guards, and Yang Man was angry, anxious, and annoyed. The two argued for a while, but in the end, Yang Man couldn’t take a step into the gate.
Yang Wujiu lay on the hard bed, no longer distinguishing whether he was crying or moaning. He slept in a daze, woke up and slept again, and vaguely saw a figure squatting in front of him.
“Wang, Wang Dian.” Yang Wujiu moved his chapped lips, his eyes dimmed, “You…were right, I shouldn’t…have gone to the palace to cause trouble for my father.”
Liang Ye threw him a bottle of medicine, “Have you thought it through?”
Yang Wujiu clutched the bottle of medicine and sobbed violently.
“If you regret it, I can send you home.” Liang Ye said expressionlessly, “Whether it’s the palace or the army, both are a matter of life and death.”
Yang Wujiu gritted his teeth, his eyes red, “I want to go to the army.”
Liang Ye raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t want to lose to that dog Jian Ling.” Yang Wujiu lowered his voice, but with a fierce intent, “I don’t want to be like my father…..I want to earn military merit.”
Kneeling and begging for mercy, living in fear, he was completely unaware of being protected under the wings and ignorant of the world.
Liang Ye threw a plaque next to him, “Then you should be clear about who you are working for.”
Yang Wujiu’s hand covered the dragon pattern auspicious cloud on the plaque, his eyes bloodshot, “I know.”
Liang Ye chuckled lightly.
Yang Wujiu whispered, “I only ask that His Majesty will spare my father’s life at that time.”
“His Majesty is benevolent and will naturally keep his promise.” Liang Ye vowed, “You can go with peace of mind.”
Liang Ye climbed out of the window and saw Wang Dian with a complicated expression by the wall. He casually avoided Wang Dian’s gaze, took the person and flew out of the territory of the Black Armored Guards, and two figures silently fell into the Suixue Garden.
The garden was always a bit eerie at night, Wang Dian looked at Liang Ye through the darkness, “If Yang Wujiu wants to go home, would you really send him out of the palace?”
“Of course not.” Liang Ye stretched lazily, “But Zhen would make his death quick.”
Wang Dian saw the indifferent look in his eyes and knew he wasn’t lying.
“You let me know these things—” Wang Dian carefully chose his words, “You’re planning to use me, right?”
Liang Ye quietly looked at him, his expression was rarely serious, “If you honestly act as Zhen’s empress, you can always save your life, but if you get involved in this muddy water, even Zhen might not tolerate you in the future, so why bother?”
Wang Dian laughed, “Why did you bother to leave and come back?”
Liang Ye stared at him steadily.
Wang Dian turned his head to look at the moon covered by the flowing clouds in the sky, “Sometimes I feel that it’s really boring here, I can’t find someone to chat with, our worldviews are miles apart.”
Liang Ye said, “Zhen thinks you chat quite well with Qi Ming.”
“It’s not the same.” Wang Dian turned around and leaned against the tree, hugging his arms and pulling a corner of his mouth at him, a smile like a gentle breeze appeared, “Only you, barely make me feel a bit interested.”
Liang Ye stood there, in the night it seemed as if his whole person was covered with a layer of faint shadow, he was silent for a moment and then slowly said, “Zhen is not a good emperor.”
“Indeed.” Wang Dian said.
Liang Ye’s heart sank, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle, but then heard Wang Dian say nonchalantly, “But I like it.”
The moonlight broke through the clouds, and the whole garden was filled with wind.
