Chapter 3: Emperor You’re Eloping?
Despite Fengmian's angry retort, the young man still patiently explained to her. "Do you really not remember me? I was your brother's study companion and you would often cling to me and sweetly call 'gege' until I gave you sweets. After extorting and taking advantage of me, you don't even want to recognize me?" At this last sentence, he pouted, which looked quite adorable. Fengmian, truly having no remembrance of this person, just blankly stared at him. Then, she turned around and nearly sprinted to her carriage, dragging Xiao Xi with her.
Once she reached the safety of her carriage and instructed the driver to return to the palace, she whispered to Xiao Xi, "do I know him? Does my brother have any friends? Why is he prettier than me? Why is his skin literally poreless?" At this barrage of questions, Xiao Xi simply shook her head violently, indicating that she didn't know the answer to any of them. Fengmian decided that she would ask her brother about this person immediately after they returned. In the time it took to brew two cups of tea, the carriage arrived to the palace. They were surprised to find that an eunuch had been waiting for them. "Princess Wu, the emperor requests your presence in his study." Xiao Xi helped Fengmian out of the carriage and quickly led her to her room. She removed the male garments and replaced them with a dark purple dress embroidered with silver lotuses. As a finishing touch, silver earrings and a matching hairpin was inserted into Fengmian's hair, completing the elegant look. Xiao Xi admired her finished product and together they headed towards the emperor's study. Fengmian and the emperor had a very nice daughter and father relationship. It wasn't uncommon to find Fengmian and her father chatting about literature, sharing poems, or simply enjoying each other's company. Despite other dynasties and kingdoms having rulers with harems, Emperor Wu did not accept any concubines or wives other than the empress, hence resulting in a close-knit family. Emperor Wu's mother, the Empress Dowager, had suffered quite a lot due to the previous emperor's concubines. After growing up in such a harsh and difficult environment where siblings fought and killed one another for power, Emperor Wu did not wish the same for his children.
When they arrived at the emperor's study, they found the emperor's head lowered as he read at his desk while the empress lounged on a nearby sofa close to the window, peacefully embroidering a handkerchief. Despite his beard and hair being peppered with grey, the emperor's profile was still handsome and domineering; one could tell that he was once the heartthrob of the capital. The empress possessed a bearing worthy of her high position; once a devastating beauty capable of the downfall of nations, time seemed to have infused her beauty with wisdom and elegance. The two were truly a couple made in heaven, in terms of looks and temperaments. Before Fengmian could greet them, the emperor suddenly jolted up. At his sudden motion, the empress turned her head and narrowed her eyes. Upon seeing that the emperor hadn't actually been reading but rather dozing off, the empress reprimanded, "you useless old thing, I told you to read that report an hour ago." The emperor then replied haughtily, "at least I was catching up on precious sleep unlike you who pours her waking hours into embroidering useless handkerchiefs. In fact, eunuch Chen can embroider better and he's half blind!" At this last sentence, he raised his voice higher in indignation. Finding the situation humorous, Fengmian interjected. "Father are you implying that you're planning on eloping with eunuch Chen?" Upon hearing Fengmian's words, her mother gave out a laugh while the emperor turned red. "Daughter, if I could get away from this mean woman by eloping with eunuch Chen then I would!" Her mother rolled her eyes and replied back, "if eunuch Chen knew how lazy and irresponsible you are then I don't think he'd go with you! Meanwhile, the subject of their conversation was preparing tea in the kitchen when a shiver went down his back. Suddenly eunuch Chen sneezed three times, nearly dropping the teapot. "The emperor is probably cursing me again," eunuch Chen thought. He stood contemplating letting someone else deliver the tea for a while, before shaking his head and sighing, walking towards the study with the tray of tea.
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