Friend Emperor

  What exactly was a machine gun. Feng Yu Heng explained it to Zhang Yuan as: “It’s a type of spear with a mechanism hidden in it.”


  Zhang Yuan felt that this was reasonable.

  This was not the first time that Feng Yu Heng slept in Heavenly Hall’s inner hall. Fortunately, she would be sleeping in the western room, rather than the eastern room that was specifically reserved for the Emperor. Zi Rui expressed that he did not want to be a third wheel and took the initiative to run over to the eastern room to squeeze in bed with Yao Xian. Xuan Tian Ming and Feng Yu Heng were no longer worried, as they peacefully fell asleep.

  On the eastern side, Zhang Yuan brought a chair over and sat at the side of the bed. Staring at the three on the bed with a pair of eyes that resembled dead fish eyes, he felt that this scene with two elderly people and one young child was truly too mysterious.

  This was the dragon bed! The dragon bed! In the past, the ninth prince and imperial daughter Ji An had slept in it. What sort of situation was it today? Even an imperial physician was able to sleep there. Could there be some order in Da Shun’s statuses? If word of this scene was to spread, who knew just how ugly things could get!

  Keeping watch overnight, Zhang Yuan hugged a cushion while leaning against a wood chest next to the bed. His mind was occupied with stories of: “The common citizens are telling stories of the Emperor and imperial physician Yao Xian sleeping in the same bed……”


  The Emperor was hungover, and the morning court session for the following day was canceled. For the officials of Da Shun, this had already become exceedingly common. As long as the ninth prince was not in the capital, the Emperor would end up in this condition. All kinds of tricks to not attend court would be used. But he had an ability that was truly horrible. It was that no matter what was done, Da Shun would not collapse. If he did not attend court, he would still know all about everything that had happened. If he did not concern himself with politics, not a single matter under the heavens would escape him. He seemed to be unreliable, but the words that were said would always leave the officials feeling jittery.

  Zhang Yuan went to the main hall to pass along the message to the officials about the cancelation of the court session. When he returned, he saw that the Emperor had already woken up. He watched the Emperor reach over Yao Xian and pull Zi Rui over to his side. He quickly went over to provide some help while the Emperor looked at the drowsy Zi Rui. He muttered: “Quite heavy.” He then pinched his small face and added: “How did you end up so fat? Could it be that Yun Lu Academy’s food is too good?”


  Zi Rui pouted and drowsily said: “I was kidnapped by people for this past little while. I’ve already lost a lot of weight.”


  The Emperor did not continue to speak. He just pulled the child over and grabbed his injured hand, repeatedly massaging it. The feeling in his chest was quite uncomfortable.

  Zi Rui felt that the way the Emperor massaged his hand was very similar to how his elder sister did it. Even the way that he sighed was the same. He could not help but look up and say to the Emperor: “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”


  The Emperor nodded: “We know.” But he continued to massage it, thus Zi Rui could only let him continue. But the Emperor did not continue to hold it in, taking the initiative to begin chatting with him: “You should rest this hand for a while and not return to Xiao Zhou immediately. Your elder sister will be going to the military camp in a bit and will not have time to look after you. It would be better to stay in the palace. The palace is safe and has plenty of delicious food. We will make sure that you can eat as much as you like.”


  Zi Rui did not bring up the matter of whether or not he would stay in the palace, but he became spirited upon mention of the academy. He wanted to chat with the Emperor, but he also felt that he was truly the Emperor. He did not know if it would be proper to chat in this manner. The child thought a bit and probed by asking the Emperor: “Your Majesty, say, now that we have already slept in the same bed, shouldn’t we more or less be considered…… friends?”


  The Emperor was stunned and immediately said: “You’re just a small child, yet you are speaking about being friends with Us?”


  Zi Rui lowered his head, “If we aren’t friends, it would be impossible to chat.”


  The Emperor heard this and immediately changed his tune: “Alright, we are friends then. Speak, what is it?”


  Zi Rui smiled and looked up once more, saying: “Friend Emperor, I won’t be attending school in the future.” After saying this, he saw that the Emperor’s expression became a little ugly, his eyes becoming wide, thus he added: “My elder sister and brother-in-law have already agreed!”


  Who knew that the Emperor would not be as upset as Feng Yu Heng upon hearing that he would not attend school. It was mostly a look of surprise that appeared in his eyes. He then expressed his curiosity: “What will you do if you don’t attend school?”


  Zi Rui said: “Go to the battlefield! I want to learn the art of war, and I will lead troops onto the battlefield.” He said this while looking at his own hand, “Didn’t I only lose one finger. Elder sister said that once we have taken over Qian Zhou, I will go and cut off everyone from the Feng family’s fingers.”


  “Ah!” The Emperor slapped his leg and repeatedly sighed to Zhang Yuan: “Did you see it? They truly are siblings.” Saying this, he comforted Zi Rui: “Dear child, you’ve suffered.”


  Zhang Yuan added: “Don’t just say it, provide some material benefit.”


  In regards to this, the Emperor thought about it quite seriously for a bit, but he still helplessly shook his head. His expression was a little bitter: “I really don’t know what to provide you with. Over the years, I’ve rewarded people with this and that, but it was mostly just money or power. But We have never thought that the people who have received money lived particularly well, and the people that received power ended up doing evil, which ended up shortening their lives.” He patted Zi Rui’s head and sighed: “We have gotten old. In truth, I really just want to bring you around this large palace and play around. Bring you to see the wine that was secretly buried underground ten years ago and provide you with the most delicious foods. As for the other things…… Sooner or later, the world will belong to you young people. Following your sister and brother-in-law, you will not suffer any losses.”


  The words that he said were quite touching. Why was it that it sounded a bit like a will to Zhang Yuan? He furrowed his brow and advised: “Can you not say something a little more cheerful? What old or not, just look at imperial physician Yao. He is much older than you, yet he does not make any mention of getting old. What are you talking about getting old at every moment for?”


  The Emperor rolled his eyes at him, and Zi Rui was quite surprised by how well the two got along. He could not help but ask: “The friend Emperor, why do you have this sort of servant at your side?”


  The Emperor snorted, “I have nothing better to do.” He held it in a little longer then said: “In truth, I am bored.”


  However, who knew that these words would be heard by Feng Yu Heng and Xuan Tian Ming, who had just arrived. Xuan Tian Ming’s expression sank, as he quickly brought his wife in and said: “Can you not teach the child something more proper.”


  Feng Yu Heng, however, tugged at him and stepped forward to gently say: “Father Emperor is not old. You still have not brought back imperial concubine mother. How can you be old?”


  Once imperial concubine Yun was mentioned, the Emperor became spirited. He remembered that Zhang Yuan seemed to have mentioned imperial concubine Yun the previous day. He quickly asked: “What was it that happened last night?”


  Zhang Yuan repeated what the palace maid had said then added: “As this servant sees it, imperial concubine Yun is still thinking about it. Drinking wine is harmful to the body. She is thinking about your health, yet you don’t think much of it.”


  Xuan Tian Ming glared at Zhang Yuan, thinking to himself: how could this be comforting. Is this not playing a trick on the old man!

  Sure enough, once Zhang Yuan finished speaking, the Emperor immediately said: “We understand. That uh, go to the cellar and open up all of the jars of wine. Today, We will continue to drink with old Yao! Perhaps, it will cause dearest to come here personally.” While saying this, he gave Yao Xian a kick, saying: “Wake up, wake up, wake up, stop sleeping.”


  In the end, Yao Xian was older and could not handle alcohol as well as the Emperor. In addition to this, with the two always drinking together, Yao Xian was no longer the same soul as many years prior. The so-called friends drinking together meant that it could not be hidden. He could not by sly, thus Yao Xian simply did not take any hangover medicine before drinking with the Emperor. This caused him to get even drunker than the Emperor.

  Feng Yu Heng felt truly helpless and could only beg: “Father Emperor, spare my grandfather. Also, daughter-in-law came back this time needing grandfather’s help with a matter. Daughter-in-law’s personal bodyguard was severely injured and poisoned. He is waiting for grandfather to take care of the detoxification.”


  The Emperor appeared disappointed. Seeing that Yao Xian had woken up, he had no choice but to agree and allow him to leave. But he then turned his gaze on Zi Rui. Zi Rui trembled with fear and quickly dove into Feng Yu Heng’s embrace. He quickly muttered: “Don’t look at me. I am still young. I am just a child.” After saying this, he felt that it was lacking, thus he added: “I still have some important matters to tend to. That father of mine sent a report to the people of Qian Zhou, telling them to take our lives. Although the danger has already passed, Zi Rui has lost a finger and must go to settle this debt with him.”


  The child spoke with a crisp voice, but his attitude was very resolute. The hatred that he felt toward Feng Jin Yuan burst forth once more, and even the Emperor could feel it.

  When the Emperor heard that Feng Jin Yuan had done this, although he did not find it to be odd based on his understanding of Feng Jin Yuan, he was still extremely annoyed. Thus he waved his hand: “Go, as long as you don’t kill him, you can get revenge as you please.”


  Zi Rui was stunned. He did not know about the matter with Qian Zhou’s map of the dragon vein, thus when he hard that Feng Jin Yuan must be kept alive, he was a little caught off-guard. But he did not ask any further. He just nodded and climbed out of the dragon bed, standing at Feng Yu Heng’s side.

  Yao Xian was a little unable to accept how he had mysteriously ended up in the dragon bed. Climbing out of bed, he looked a little embarrassed, but the Emperor did not think about this. He did not think that there was anything wrong with Yao Xian and Feng Zi Rui sleeping in the dragon bed. He even warmly waved to Yao Xian, telling him to come again.

  Xuan Tian Ming could not handle his father’s simple attitude, and he quickly used an official matter to bring the atmosphere back: “A person from Qian Zhou was caught alive and brought back. He has been kept in the Yu Palace. How do you want to take care of him?”


  The Emperor asked him: “Do you have any use for him?”


  Xuan Tian Ming shook his head, “Not really.”


  “Then just execute him!” The Emperor spoke very casually, but the more he used this tone, the more it meant that he was serious about the matter, “Hand him to the governor and have him executed. Tell everyone in the world that this is Da Shun’s attitude.”


  Xuan Tian Ming was hoping for this. Qian Zhou and Da Shun had begun fighting. The North had rebelled. These were not just matters of the court. The people of the world also had the right to know. This time, they could make use of this execution, and they could make use of Qian Zhou taking action against Da Shun. They could use the deaths of countless citizens from Da Shun to stir the entire country’s anger. To him, Qian Zhou was already something that was in the bag.

  Xuan Tian Ming’s lips curled up slightly into a wicked smile. Bringing along his wife and Zi Rui, he turned around and left.

  Feng Yu Heng turned around and waved her hand to the Emperor and said goodbye. She then gave Yao Xian a look, and Yao Xian quickly followed. The Emperor remained in place for a long time until the group completely vanished. Only then did he slap his forehead: “Oh no, We forgot to tell them about old seventh’s matters.”