Meng Fu looked up, gave Li Yue a smile, and said: “Nothing.”
Maybe because Meng Fu was using his face, the always emotionally obtuse Li Yue actually noticed subtle changes in her expression this time.
He felt like Meng Fu was lying.
Then what was she really thinking about?
Human thoughts are so hard to guess. In the past, His Majesty never troubled himself to guess these things.
Li Yue rubbed his chin, then suddenly asked Meng Fu: “Do you like playing the qin?”
Meng Fu looked up and asked: “Why are you asking about that?”
“I heard it from Qingping.”
Meng Fu made a soft “mm” sound. After pausing for a moment, she said to Li Yue: “Can’t say I like it… I haven’t played in many years.”
Li Yue made an “oh” sound and said: “I still have a few zithers in my private treasury, ones that the late emperor went through great effort to collect and bring into the palace. They’re supposed to be the ‘Four Famous Qins’ or something. If you like, you can take one out and play it.”
Speaking of it, the late emperor had even said before that he wanted to bestow one of those qins to Meng Yanxing. Who knows why, even up to his passing, the qin was still left in the private treasury—and now it belonged to Li Yue.
After saying that, he felt that this wouldn’t do. Based on Meng Fu’s usual way of handling things, she probably wouldn’t go take the qin out herself. This matter would still have to be left to the dark guards to handle.
Thinking of having to command the dark guards, Li Yue got a bit of a headache. This group of dark guards had too much imagination. Why hadn’t he thought to crack open their skulls and see what was inside when he was selecting them back then? Each one nosier than the next. When grouped together, they could stir up more gossip than the concubines in Xie Wenzhao’s back courtyard.
A complete miscalculation, a real miscalculation!
Next time, he absolutely couldn’t do it like this again.
So then… could he avoid using the dark guards?
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Meng Fu still couldn’t quite understand why Li Yue was suddenly talking to her about this, so she asked: “Then what does Your Majesty like?”
Li Yue let out a long sigh and said: “Can I beat up Xie Wenzhao?”
Meng Fu: “……”
She might not be able to help His Majesty with that.
She replied a bit awkwardly: “Beating him is possible, but whether or not you can…”
She had originally wanted to say, “Can Your Majesty sneak a beating?” but then felt it wasn’t necessary, so she gave in and said: “Forget it, go ahead and hit him.”
“I don’t know why, but lately the more I look at Xie Wenzhao, the more of an eyesore he becomes. Why did you marry him back then?”
This question had been stuck in Li Yue’s mind for a long time. He looked at Meng Fu and added, “If you don’t want to say it, then never mind.”
“Obedience to parents’ orders and words of the matchmaker, that’s all.”
Meng Fu only said those few words.
Li Yue felt that Meng Fu was lying again. Or maybe it was true—but not the whole truth.
Meng Fu felt a bit uncomfortable being stared at like this by His Majesty. She turned her head and looked out the window: “It’s raining outside, Your Majesty.”
Li Yue made a sound in reply. He felt that Meng Fu, when she said this sentence, seemed to have been covered with a light layer of melancholy.
He realized he ought to say something—but didn’t know what to say.
His Majesty rarely found himself in such a difficult position.
He also turned his head to look out the window.
The fine rain blurred the air, dissipating the summer heat.
He thought of Meng Fu’s eyes when she had just spoken—those were his own eyes, yet they looked completely different from what he’d seen in the mirror. As if they could hook someone’s soul.
So strange. Strange as if strange had opened the door for more strange, and now strange had arrived home.
After a while, he said to Meng Fu: “Then later I’ll take you back.”
Meng Fu turned her head and looked at him. She didn’t know why Li Yue would suddenly think of something like this. She only smiled and said: “Your Majesty, how can you send me back like this?”
Li Yue thought about it. With his current identity, sending Meng Fu back to the palace was indeed a bit strange.
There had already been too many strange things today. He couldn’t add more.
He put on a veiled hat and walked out of Yunxi Tower with Meng Fu. Just as she was about to get into the carriage, he suddenly called out to her: “That…”
Meng Fu turned around and looked at Li Yue. After waiting a while without hearing him finish his sentence, she took the initiative to ask: “Your Majesty, what did you want to say?”
Li Yue lowered his head, coughed twice with his fist against his lips, and said to Meng Fu: “Actually, when you looked at me like that earlier, I was… quite happy.”
After he said that, he let out a wail in his heart:
What the hell did I just say?! What does that even mean!
Happy?? Where was he happy?! He didn’t even know what kind of feeling it was when Meng Fu looked at him like that!
Even if he realized Meng Fu might overthink because of this, this explanation wasn’t it—this was way too weird!
Wouldn’t Meng Fu end up overthinking even more now?!
He had already told himself—no more weirdness today!
Li Yue, oh Li Yue, your lifelong reputation has been completely ruined today!
Meng Fu froze for a moment before she realized what Li Yue had just said to her.
Then she couldn’t help but laugh out loud with a soft puchi sound.
The world said this emperor was fierce, ruthless, and cold-blooded.
Perhaps she was the only one who would think His Majesty was adorable.
She said: “I understand. Your Majesty, please head back soon—don’t let yourself get caught in the rain.”
Li Yue had wanted to explain, but the words halted on his lips—there didn’t seem to be anything needing explanation.
He straightened his expression and said to Meng Fu: “Got it. Next time we meet, play a tune for me.”
His Majesty was still wearing the veiled hat, so she couldn’t see his expression—but she seemed to understand his intent.
She smiled and replied: “All right.”
She got into the carriage, which slowly rolled off in the direction of the imperial palace.
Li Yue watched Meng Fu leave, then bought a paper umbrella from a street vendor and strolled unhurriedly back to the marquis’ residence.
The rain wasn’t heavy, and by the time Li Yue returned to Jixue Courtyard, it had already stopped.
During the rain, Hua Xiaoling had gone inside to avoid it, but now she came back out into the courtyard to continue practicing her horse stance.
When she saw Li Yue returning alone from outside holding an umbrella, she sighed sorrowfully on the lady’s behalf.
These past few days, when she went to the old madam’s place to pay respects, she could already tell— the old madam had developed a great deal of dissatisfaction with the lady over the matter of managing the household.
Any day now, she might lash out at the lady.
The lady had helped her so much—she really should remind her.
So she opened her mouth and advised Li Yue: “Lady, it’s not very good for you to be going out and showing your face in public every day, is it?”
Li Yue put away the umbrella, turned and looked at Hua Xiaoling, and said: “What’s not good about it? I see Xie Wenzhao goes out plenty often too, doesn’t he?”
Hua Xiaoling didn’t even know how to respond.
The lady used to be quite clever—how had she gotten so muddleheaded now?
She said: “How can you compare yourself to the Marquis?”
“Why can’t I?” Li Yue’s eyes widened.
He said with upright righteousness: “You can’t discriminate against Xie Wenzhao just because he doesn’t have a good brain!”
Standing under the eaves, Qingping was utterly speechless upon hearing this.
Wasn’t this the same lady who, not long ago, still wanted the monks of Baima Temple to hang a plaque at the temple gate reading: ‘Dogs may enter—Xie Wenzhao not allowed’?
And now she was saying people shouldn’t discriminate against the Marquis?
And with such conviction?
Hua Xiaoling was at a loss for words. She had actually been accused of discriminating against the Marquis—where was the justice in that?!
She realized the lady clearly hadn’t understood her point at all.
But before she could open her mouth again to further discuss the coming difficulties the lady would face in the marquis household, her hand was poked by Li Yue with the umbrella.
She heard the lady sternly say: “What kind of stance is that?! Sink lower! Raise your arms higher! Straighten your back! Eyes forward! Don’t slouch like a shrimp! Look spirited!”
Hua Xiaoling hurriedly straightened her back.
After that round of scolding, she completely forgot what she had meant to say.
Qu Hanyan walked over carrying a bowl of hot soup.
After that day, she had even dreamed about the lady—
In the dream, she was in a brothel being beaten and scolded by the old madam, and the lady suddenly appeared to save her, saying she would take her to wander the world.
Qu Hanyan clearly knew she wouldn’t develop special feelings toward women.
But now, in this lady, she saw the heroic, wandering swordswoman she had longed for since childhood.
Whenever she saw the lady practicing swordplay or boxing, she just couldn’t help but want to get closer.
Even Xie Wenzhao had been pushed out of her mind.
She walked up to Li Yue and gently advised: “Lady, don’t be angry. Concubine Hua just has a sharp tongue—don’t take her words to heart. She’s always been like this anyway.”
Hua Xiaoling looked at Qu Hanyan with a face like she’d seen a ghost.
Damn it, what the hell was wrong with this vixen Qu Hanyan?!
Why wasn’t she buttering up the Marquis—why was she now fussing over the lady day and night?!
What was she trying to do?