240 Untitled (2/2)

Little Seven, who was in deep thought, turned back in anger. But the moment he saw Zhan Beiye, he pounced over with a loud cry.

He pounced over so ferociously as though as he wanted to knock Zhan Beiye down from his horse. Zhan Beiye swayed but very quickly regained his balance. He wanted to get down the horse, but Little Seven hugged his leg tightly without moving.

After a while, Zhan Beiye felt that the corner of his pants, where Little Seven was at, was slightly damp.

The dampness was getting more obvious by the moment, soaking through the robe and directly onto his skin.

And then, into his heart.

With his head down, Zhan Beiye looked at the kid that was clinging onto his leg silently, trying his best to suppress his shivers. In just two months, this kid was now covered in dirt, wearing clothes that did not suit the season. His hands were covered in calluses and wounds from the incorrect position he had been holding the work equipment.

Everything about him changed. Only the whip he had stubbornly carried on his back; even the position was unchanged.

Two whole months… This child that had once experienced abandonment, whose life only contained him and the Black Wind Calvary, whom he had heartlessly chased away… How did he get through those difficult days?

The Black Wind Calvary remained silent as they all turned away as tears filled their eyes.

Zhan Beiye looked up.

The pale winter moon shone selflessly on the handsome profile of the Emperor of Dahan.

Slowly, quietly, gentle drops of tears dripped down his haggard face, falling down onto the sobbing child's messy hair.

Pain, beyond words.

This night, on the streets of a foreign country, the men sat there unmoved as sadness held them hostage. Till the cold wind had the child with only a piece of cloth trembling.

Zhan Beiye quickly took off his outer robe and covered Little Seven with it.

”Where do you stay now?” asked Zhan Beiye.

Stumped, Little Seven kept quiet. Zhan Beiye immediately understood his silence as a sigh of guilt escaped from between his lips. ”Return to the inn with me.”

But Little Seven shook his head. He held the list that Eunuch Li had given to him. He was not done, he had to enter the palace.

Noticing his action, Zhan Beiye asked, ”What's in your sleeves?”

”Your Majesty, I got to know an uncle while I was in the Regent King's residence. He's a good man. I pawned something for him today, and now I've to send the receipt and the money over. I'll come back after I pass him the stuff.”

This lie was without flaw. A few days ago, when a few workers snuck out, they had used this excuse. He remembered.

Zhan Beiye did not expect this child to learn to lie after two months of being on the streets. He nodded. ”Remember to come over.” And then, he ordered his guards to give him some money and a horse before letting Little Seven go.

As he left with the Black Wind Calvary, he turned back to look at Little Seven. That child painted a lonely figure on the streets as he stood there, hugging the money as his eyes followed Zhan Beiye's back. The moonlight drew a long, dark shadow on the ground.

Zhan Beiye could feel the tears threatening to come out. 'This child has had it hard when he returns, I'll make it up to him…'

He waited at the inn for Little Seven but never managed to await his return. Even Ji Yu, who was tasked to follow Little Seven, lost him accidentally.

Fate has its own plan at every turn.

The next day, Little Seven carried the list as he walked to the palace, not knowing the fearful event that awaited him. Meanwhile, the new empress ”Yu Wenzi” had her very first important task.

The paying of respects…

Meng Fuyao was extremely frustrated, she decided that she was going to make this swift and quick with the women of Xuanyuan. She polished her blade, ready to slaughter the ”chickens”.

Xuanyuan Min thought that she was going to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys and display her authority. Meng Fuyao took a deep breath, and with a smile that revealed her white teeth, announced, ”No such thing. If they cross the line, no one has the luck to be a monkey.”

Enunciating each word clearly, she declared:

”They. Are. All. Chickens!”

Early in the morning, the concubines in the imperial harem were mostly awake.

Early in the morning, VERY early in the morning — 3 am.

It couldn't be helped. The new Empress passed down a new decree that said that she would be waking up at 3 am to exercise, and after her exercise, she would shower and then rest. The period where she rested would be the usual time where the rest of the concubines paid their respects. Her rest was more important than some insignificant 'paying of respects' and so, she decided that all concubines would too, not get to sleep. After all, they had their fair share of sleep when there was no empress, right?

So the concubines, who were used to waking up when the sun was out, struggled painfully to drag themselves out of bed at 3 am. Accounting for the need to wash up and do their make-up, which took around 2 hours, that would mean that, essentially, they didn't have to sleep.

Of course, like any of the times, it never lacked people who were, without brains, two, rebellious. And so, naturally, there would be ”trailblazers” and ”unique personalities”. An old Chinese idiom which refers to making an example out of someone in order to threaten others