Chapter 165 (1/2)

”In fact, I don't want to live in the Imperial City.”

Standing by the bar, the Tang Emperor Li Zhongyi raised his hand pointing to the dark blue wall in the far northern direction and said with a sign, ”In less than ten miles out of the city, we can see Daming Palace. There are verdant hills, thick trees and cool winds. If I stay there in summer, I'll feel much cooler and don't need to listen to the ministers' quarrel in the imperial hall. Thus no one will bother me every day, and I'll be a lot easier.”

After the meal, the Emperor took Ning Que to walk around the palace, the so-called digestion but in fact chatting. Just now, the sky started to become dark and Chang'an City's lights were lit early. So one could see a lot of sceneries by looking out.

Ning Que stood next to his Majesty and watched his hansome side face, thinking why he would share the feelings. ”Was it really so difficult for the Emperor to find a talker in the deep palace?” Before Ning Que tried carefully to a.n.a.lyze the problems hidden in this treatment, he remembered the hot weather last year in Chang'an and felt a strong sense of compa.s.sion. So Ning Que respectfully said, ”His Majesty might as well get out of the city as soon as possible this year.”

The Emperor folded the sleeves behind the back and looked at the night imperial city to say with a sign. ”In early years, when the Empress has said she wanted to move to the Daming Palace, the ministers cried and ran into tears to persuade with the rules of ancestors, for they dare not urge me for delaying the management. Although I'm the Tang Emperor, I can't be free to pick a dwelling place. Even if no one has ever dared to be against my will these years, I have to move until the mid-summer so as to close the old guy's mouths.”

After listening to the words of his Majesty, especially the obvious grudges, Ning Que could not help laughing secretly.

The Emperor suddenly turned around and interestedly looked at him to say, ”This year, I and the Empress will move to the Daming Palace. Why don't you come with us to live there for several days? Yu Er always thinks it's lonely and boring outside the city, but in fact the scenery is extremely beautiful.”

Ning Que's smile on his face disappeared very fast, for he felt a bit awkward when listening to these words. It was unlike a emperor who invited the favored administer to the palace for a rest. The casua tone resembled that of the rural old farmer, who suddenly saw a young relative from the county town and then kindly invited the man to eat some fruits in his own farmhouse, speaking highly of his own sweet well water.

Ning Que was very clear what it meant when the Emperor invited him to the Daming Palace for spending the summer, .

Where there was an emperor, there was a royal palace. Where there was a royal palace, there was a writing administer. Such an administer near to the Emperor had a high statue and was respected by the people. Although not involved in the imperial affairs, he had a great influence on them. Although with the littile salary, he could earn countless silver by writing some calligraphies and poems. If in the past, Ning Que, of course, was willing to be such a writing administer. But now he was no longer the lad soldier of the border town. In addition to silver and prospect, he has seen that enigmatic world. Therefore, he was no longer willing to be an administer.

”Thanks for his Majesty's appreciation, but as a student I'm ashamed to accept this. It should be a wonderful thing to get his Majesty's guidance on calligraphy day and night... ”

Ning Que respectfully greeted a bow with hands folded in front and peeped at his Majesty's face. He said, ”To be honest, who don't want to be outstanding and glorify the family name? But I as a student have just entered the Second floor and haven't seen the headmaster. It's really inconvenient... ”

”I just talk about it at will. Why are you so serious?” His Majesty said with a slight smile, ”There are many unrealistic words in what you said, and I don't want to correct them one by one. But as for the matter of being outstanding... why doesn't Chao Xiaoshu want it?”

Ning Que did not know how to answer and had no choice but to keep silence.

Suddenly the Emperor looked at him and asked, ”Do you know where Brother Chao is?”

”As for the big brother Chao, I really don't know.” Ning Que answered.

The Emperor came to the bar, touching the cold stone bar with his slender palm and looking at the palace with the night scenery. After being silent for a moment, he softly lamented. ”There was a school of royal court poems, such as red leaves, court wall and palace maids. However, in this imperial palce, not only the palace maids or concubines but also I am locked here. Now I recall the moments when I as a crown prince often went to Chang'an City and went straight into the Spring Breeze Pavilion with Chen and the other for drinking or fighting with Chao Xiaoshu. What a pity! Those moments are really lost in past.”

Listening to his Majesty who comtemplated the present and recalled the past with emotion. Ning Que felt bitter in the mouth for a while, thinking why the honorable Emperpr told the secrets to him. He just wrote a section and met the Emperor for the first time today. How could he be qualified to bear such trust?

As if being aware of Ning Que's doubt, the Emperor turned the head and looked at him faintly laughing. ”I chose Chao Xiaoshu. Chao Xiaoshu chose you. There was the name of Spring Breeze Pavilion for my valuing Chao Xiaoshu. You followed him to Spring Breeze Pavilion to kill overnight for Chao Xiaoshu's valuing you. So later you were sent by him to the secret guard and entered my imperial study to leave that calligraphy there. Until then did I know who you are. It seems to be complicated but in fact shows one thing.”

Ning Que knew that he could no longer be silent at this time. He had to behave himself well, so he quickly asked, ”What kind of thing?”

The Emperor smiled and said, ”It shows that there is fate between me and you, just as between me and Xiaoshu.”

”The word fate is really good.” Ning Que joyfully thought in the heart. ”His Majesty thinks he has the monarch-minister fate with me. Then in this secular world, I'll have a talisman, or even free from death. In the future, I'm afraid a lot of things will be much easier.”

The Emperor looked at him and said with an invisible smile, ”Since there is a fate between me and you, you should stop being so stingy and take more written calligraphies in the shop to the palace for me. You can regard this as I borrow them from you.”

”The word fate is not good.” Ning Que painfully thought in the heart. ”It's the so-called mysterious imperial palace. Once the sections, equal with notes, enters the imperial study, there's no way to see them again. As for borrowing, it is even more ridiculous. If the Tang Emperor borrows a few things from one, how dare one go to ask them back?”

At this time in this place, Ning Que could no longer refuse his Majesty's request of borrowing sections for a view. As the Emperor of Tang Empire, he had the qualification and power to be unreasonable. But today his Majesty has invited Ning Que to eat and talked heart to heart not only the exhortation but also friends.h.i.+p and fate. Therefore, Ning Que had to lend them.

Ning Que looked up and resolutely said, ”Tomorrow I'll send the works of these years to the palace for his Majesty's guidance.”

The Emperor was full of comfort, gently stroking the long beard under the jaw, and then watched the lad in front to nod slightly. He secretly thought that this lad has not yet been a full idiot.

Ning Que's determination on the face quickly became sadness and frustration at the next moment. He looked at the Emperor and bitterly said, ”His Majesty was actually waiting for me here.”

”The Tang law values discipline first. Even if I'm the Emperor, I can never grab and keep the people's stuffs.”

The Emperor smiled proudly, looking at Ning Que's painful look. He said with a comfort, ”Naturally I'm not a freeloader.”

Ning Que became excited after hearing this and thought that the Emperor would not be too stingy even if it was the cost price, or the price under friends.h.i.+p and monarch-administer fate.

The Emperor pondered and said, ”Compared with your beautiful ink words, taking gold and silver as a return seemed to be too vulgar.”

In the opinion of Ning Que, the most elegant thing in this world was silver. As for gold, it could be cla.s.sified as sacred stuff. At this moment, Ning Que felt so disappointed after hearing that his majesty despised the vulgar gold and silver. But all he could do was to control himself not to comment it and continue to listen patiently. He secretly thought that if the Emperor did not give silver, some things like treature, silk or makeup powder were also fine. Although he did not need them, Sangsang absolutely liked those. He could even send the remaining to the girls in House of Red Sleeves.

At this time, the Emperor naturally did not think of this lad's bad idea that Ning Que actually prepared to send the gift given by him to the brothel girls for decoration. After a moment of thinking, the Emperor suddenly thought of a matter and said with the s.h.i.+ning eyes, ”Master Yan Se has taken you as a disciple, saying that you have the potential of Divine Talisman Master. There is exactly one thing suitable fot you in the palace.”

Ning Que curiously asked, ”His Majesty, what is that?”

”I can't show it to you now. Even if you see it now, you won't understand it.” The Emperor looked at him and smiled to say, ”When Master Yan Se reports that you really enter the Fu path, I'll give it to you.”

Ning Que slightly frowned and thought of the gift that was even related with his own cultivation. Since his Majesty refused to speak, Ning Que had to thank the kindness for the gift that he did not even get or know about.

Seeing the darkness in the sky, he remembered something that he had thought of before entering the palace. So he respectfully reported. ”His Majesty, I as a student have now entered the Second floor of the Academy. Should I quit the job of secret guard?”

The Emperor slightly startled and shook his head as an opposition. Then the Emperor looked at his eyes and said, ”I have seen the files presented by the Military Ministry. You have performed extremely well in the Wilderness of the frontier fortress, even beyond my imagination. You're loyal to the Tang Empire, kind to the comrades, good at resolution and capable of killing. I just need such a secret guard like you.”

”But in the Academy, I really don't know what to investigate.”

Ning Que seemed to casually ask this question. But in fact, Ning Que was trying to find the answer to his one-year puzzle from his Majesty's reply. Whether did the imperial court have the doubt about the Academy? Was he an undercover inserted in the Academy?

The Emperor looked at him and unhappily exclaimed. ”Idiot! The Academy is the foundation of my empire. How can I be so confused to shake the foundation? Who lets you investigate the Academy? I want you to be aware of those cultivators!”

Ning Que quickly pretended to be a loyal administer and showed his approval. In fact, he still did not understand how he could keep watch over other cultivators when he studied in the Academy and only kept contact with those cultivation students. As for the Emperor who reprimanded him as an idiot, Ning Que was even unhappier, for he called others as idiots in the daily life... But this was the Emperor. So he had to let it go.

The Emperor said slightly happily, ”In the future, you follow the Headmaster of Academy to learn in the Second floor. It is a great opportunity. You must grasp it and work hard. Compared with your study, these things I delivered to you can be finished later.”

After a pause, the Emperor looked at him and said with a solemn expression, ”The future of the Tang Empire depends on young people like you. You were a glorious soldier at the frontier fortress and now the most trusted secret guard, and a student of Headmaster of Academy. So the Tang Empire won't let you down, and you can't embarra.s.s the Tangs. Understand?”

Ning Que heard of the Emperor's trust and respect in the words and felt a little stern. He replied, ”Yes, I do understand.”

The Emperor looked back at the palace outside the bar, which was like a star and a light candle, and said indifferently, ”In a short period of time, I'll not give you the governmental position in the imperial court. Because the whole world now knows that I appreciate your section.”

Ning Que did not understand what kind of logic was in the words.

”If you are promoted, even for your other ability, the courtiers will think I do it for your section and let you be. But when it comes to the imperial affairs, they will regard calligraphy as meaningless. Although I don't care how the courtiers and people think of me, I do care about how the historians would write about me. So I won't give you a high official position or live in my favorite Daming Palace.”

The Emperor turned to look at him and said, ”Because I don't want to become a foolish emperor in the history book.”

Ning Que greeted a bow with hands folded behind and sincerely said, ”His Majesty is an eternally wise emperor.”

The Emperor smiled and joked. ”This is an eternal flattery.”

Ning Que laughed and did not feel embarra.s.sed.

By walking around the palace for a circle, the Emperor has finished expressing the feelings and robbing the section. When Ning Que was about to leave, his Majesty specifically asked the favorite daughter to send him to outside the court, which made Ning Que feel glorified a lot.

There were two long shadow on the stone shone by the place lantern. Ning Que walking behind could not help laughing. Lee Yu heard his laughter and confusedly looked back, seeing his expression and the shadows on the ground. She guessed what he was laughing at and could not help furrowing the brows. Then she said with a low voice, ”This is in the palace, not Northern Mountain Road. Behave yourself.”

In the face of Lee Yu, Ning Que did not have any psychological pressure at all. He laughed and said, ”Her Highness, what are you talking about?”

They walked to outside of the court and stood on the stone stairs. Then they stopped.

Lee Yu looked at him with an invisible smile, with a much more beautiful face shone by the palace lanterns.

”What else do you hide from me?”

”A lot.” Ning Que glanced at her with a smile and said, ”What do you want to know?”

Lee Yu thoughtfully said, ”All of them.”

Ning Que nearly said that she was born a beauty. But he looked at the palace maids and palace mammies around and reacted in time to stop saying those ridiculed words. Instead, he respectfully said, ”It would be a very long story. I'm afraid Her Highness can't wait for so long.”

Ning Que pretended to show the respectfulness, but in fact still had the tone of usual randomness. And this usual randomness was frivolous and rude for the Princess of the Tang Empire. Those palace maids and palace mammies on the stone steps have lived in the palace for a long time, experienced in obseving speeches and behaviors. So they heard Ning Que's unrespectfulness and suddenly became very unnatural.

In the daily life, those palace mammies would certainly scold Ning Que. However, they today have seen the att.i.tude of his Majesty towards Ning Que and noticed that Her Highness were not disobedient. So they thought they had some deviations on thinking and then turned the heads so as to not listen to the dialogue by being away from Her Highness. They even made those palace maids lower the heads with cold eyes.

Lee Yu walked down the stone stairs and approached Ning Que. She smiled and said, ”Speaking of time, if you have time a few days later, you can come to my mansion. This year, I've always heard Sangsang talked about your stories. So I want to hear how you'll tell your own stories.”

Ning Que knew there was a strange affection between Sangsang and the Princess, which was beyond the cla.s.s and the age. But he firmly believed that Sangsang absolutely would not talk about the his mission and secrets with outsiders. Lee Yu's remark was nothing more than a trial and a test. Ning Que said with a modest smile, ”Her Highness should be clear that I'll be very busy from now on. So it's hard to fix the exact visiting time.”

Lee Yu furrowed the brows and said, ”Even I have the time, you don't?”

Ning Que quietly looked at her and suddenly softly asked, ”Her Highness is trying to recruit me again?”

Even if Ning Que guessed it right, she looked calm as usual and said with a smile, ”Is it not a natural thing?”

After hearing her natural approval, Ning Que startled instead and said a moment of silence later, ”Now the price is different.”