Chapter 31 - Nostalgia (1/2)

”Don't you think it's weird?” Lei Yong asked.

”What is?” The emperor calmly asked.

”He showed up too close to the capital. He was just two cities away. Also, we can't find out where he has been all this while. Isn't it weird? Why would he come so far into the country? Shouldn't he have been going in the opposite direction?”

”Well, there was a battalion on his heels in the other direction.” The emperor coolly responded while reading a memorial. The two of them were currently alone in the royal study.

”True...but there's also the fact that Molin is missing. We still have not been able to locate his whereabouts. It's weird he would leave him unattended.”

”Maybe he fell off a cliff somewhere and died.” The emperor offhandedly said.

”Doesn't it feel like there's something else going on here...Don't you think so?” Lei Yong turned to look at the emperor.

The emperor glanced up at him and shrugged, and looked back down.

Lei Yong looked at the emperor and seriously asked, ”Why are you not bothered?”

”There is no point in being bothered.”

”You don't think HE could have something to do with this, do you? It really doesn't make sense for him to come this close, even if he wanted to hide, there are so many cities closer to the border that would have served the same purpose. Unless he had some purpose coming this far, otherwise this is a foolish move and is basically asking for death, he wouldn't be able to leave if you didn't -”

Lei Yong abruptly stopped and narrowed his eyes at the emperor, the emperor glanced up at him with a questioning glance.

”You said he needs to arrive safely...You know what is going on, right?”

The emperor just smiled at him and looked back down.

Lei Yong climbed up the steps and stood in front of the emperor's desk, ”You're doing something risky, aren't you?”

”I wouldn't exactly call it risky.”

Lei Yong's mouth twitched, ”Did he really...?”

The emperor sighed, dropped the memorial on the table and looked at Lei Yong.

...Can't you be a bit dumber...

”Why do you keep putting up with all this?” Lei Yong asked a bit annoyed.

The emperor remained silent. Lei Yong felt even more irritated with this, ”We are no longer children, the situation has changed and you should adjust accordingly. For him to even do something like this - ”

The emperor smirked, ”What do you think he did? There's nothing wrong, he's not an idiot. You think too much.”

Lei Yong looked at the emperor with a worried frown on his face.

The doors opened and Eunuch Li entered, bowed and informed, ”Your majesty, Prince Yi is requesting an audience.”

The emperor smiled and he stood up, ”Oh, in that case, I should go to receive him.”

”Receive him?” Lei Yong said aghast.

”It's the first time he's come to see me personally since my ascension, it is only right that I receive him properly. Let's go together.” He smiled and pat Lei Yong's shoulder and started walking off, Lei Yong begrudgingly followed along with Eunuch Li.

When they got outside, Prince Yi was standing by the entrance waiting, Lei Yong greeted him and left. Prince Yi bowed to the emperor and the emperor smiled and said, ”The weather is great today, how about a walk?” and then strutted off, leaving the other person with no option but to follow.

They walked for quite a long time. Prince Yi was getting annoyed by this ”walk” and was thinking of it as the emperor's stupid show of power to annoy him, but as he looked around, the area became familiar and then he spotted a small pond and grassy area nearing and frowned. When the emperor stepped on the grass heading towards the pond, Prince Yi stopped, ”Why are we here?”

The emperor stopped and turned to look at him and smiled, ”To admire the scenery.” and then continued to walk and stopped near the pond's edge, and then glanced back at Prince Yi, who begrudgingly moved his feet forward as well.

The two of them stood like that for a while, one with a small smile on his face and the other with a deep frown looking at the pond.

In the end, Prince Yi turned to the emperor and bowed, ”The compilation of the annals for the late emperor is complete.”

”Isn't it interesting how this place hasn't changed at all? Even though the palace feels different, this place somehow seems the same, don't you think?” The emperor asked, seemingly not having heard the words Prince Yi said.

Prince Yi straightened and looked at the scenery with a deep frown and said, ”It is not the same, even the water has changed with many rainfalls and the grass around has died and been replaced many times over. It is not the same...”

The emperor laughed, ”Ah, that is true too...”