XH 136
Heise: "I want to see Xiao Hua!"
Duke Heng: "That is a fine idea."
Heise: '...' I'm going to be killed.
Eunuch Heng: '...' Master, did you not see my eye signal? QAQ
That was how Heise unknowingly broke his word to Duan XiYing that he will do his best to make sure Duke Heng would not meet Xiao Hua. He had not known his dearest uncle was standing right behind him when he uttered those words to Heng Xin! He was too busy panicking over the news that the Empress had brought Xiao Hua to stay in her courtyard that his guard dropped down.
Heise would have run away, acting like a mischievous ten-year-old kid, just so that he could amend his mistake, but his uncle grabbed onto his hand and helpfully lead him to the correct destination.
He tried to tug his hand, wailing and even stomping on his feet, screaming that he wanted to go back home, but he does not know what possessed Duke Heng today, because he refused to entertain Heise's tantrum and determined to bring them to the Empress' courtyard.
It was the sight of a screaming boy in the arms of an adult man with a smiling face that greeted the Empress that had just finished her afternoon meal.
"What are you doing to the Eighth Prince, Duke Heng?" The Empress demanded sharply, her motherly instinct rose upon seeing her youngest stepchild with tear covered face.
"My little nephew wishes to see a lady with the name of Xiao Hua. I only know of the Third Prince's personal maid with that name so I brought my nephew over for him to see if it's the same person."
The Empress raised an eyebrow at her long-time friend. "How kind of you. Alright, you have my permission to bring Long Ming to visit Xiao Hua."
"How nice of you." Duke Heng sat down on an empty stool and to avoid his nephew from taking the opportunity to run away, he caged Long Ming on his lap with his arms. "Do you hear your Mother Empress, Long Ming? She agrees to let you meet Xiao Hua."
By now, Heise could only pretend stupid and nod his head, surrendering to his fate of being abused by Xiao Hua and Duan XiYing later. He knew better than to think the master and maid duo would leave him to scatter free!
Xin Lin added new dishes for the Eighth Prince and Duke Heng to partake but Heise has no appetite for food right now.
"So your little bird had told you about it. That's rather quick," the Empress commented, alike how she comments about the weather.
Duke Heng does not insult the Empress' intelligence by pretending ignorance. The Empress knew that Xin Mei was sent in by him to keep an eye on the Empress as well as passing him important information. The Empress believed that it would be better to have a friend's spy by her side than an enemy's spy.
There was no harm in letting Duke Heng know about these things or else the Empress would have dismissed Xin Mei. Said Xin Mei lowered her head even further, avoiding any eye contact with the Empress or Duke Heng, trying to keep herself invisible from her masters.
"Where have you imprisoned her?" Duke Heng asked frankly.
The Empress' mouth twitched in annoyance. "What makes you think I've imprisoned her?"
Duke Heng shrugged. "I've expected she would be here, sitting with you, if she isn't."
"Heng Zhen Gan, are you aware when did I returned to the palace?" The Empress asked, her eyes flashing with irritation. Without waiting for Duke Heng to answer, she replied to her own question, "This morning. I've taken a short nap and this is my first meal of the day. That girl is likely still sleeping and won't be awake to entertain your curiosity."
"Why did you bring her here?"
"And finally you reveal the reason why you are here for, which is a good move, or else I will throw you out for giving me a headache."
Duke Heng pressed on. "Ling Yi, why did you bring her here?"
"I thought you already knew why. Are you getting old? You are quicker in thinking years ago."
Irked that his intelligence was insulted, he would not able to sit well without retaliating. "You are getting old too from how many wrinkles you've gotten on your face. I would need more than the time to finish a teapot to count them all."
"Heng Zhen Gan!"
Heise knew from Xiao Hua that his cheap uncle's love was the Empress, but their interaction showed nothing of couple's love, but more to deep friendship love.
Heise: Why do I feel their way of interaction to be familiar?
If Heise had asked Eunuch Heng about it, he would have immediately gotten an answer, for Duke Heng and the Empress acting just like how he and Xiao Hua do!
"I brought the cream you like the most for your face." Duke Heng calmly pushed a beautiful cosmetic box towards the Empress he had taken out from his pocket, in hopes to sooth the Empress' ire.
However, upon seeing the familiar box, the Empress' irritation rose to a great degree. "Not only my son lied to me once, but twice?"
Duke Heng knew what the Third Prince had given to the Empress on her previous birthday, so he was not left in the dark as to why would she be angry with him.
"Your son did not lie, but he did not tell you the exact truth either if I guessed right." Duke Heng pointed out reasonably.
"Explain," the Empress demanded impatiently.
"This is a specially made cream by our little Third Prince's teacher. I believe he does not have much of those in his hands, but perhaps he could have gotten more if he had asked it from his teacher."
Empress: '...' Her son asks for more of this lovely cream for his little maid but not his own mother?! ('皿'＃)
With great difficulty, she pushed her anger away and focused on the more important titbit that her long friend had revealed.
"You know who Long Zhu's teacher is?"
"Of course."
When Duke Heng did not speak further with a smug expression on his face, the Empress indulged herself in imagining her beautiful hand with her sharp fingernail protector slapping that smug expression off Duke Heng's face.
"Tell me who is it and I will tell you why I have that girl here."
"I already know why you bring Xiao Hua here. You fear there would be more assassination attempt on her life so you wish to guard her until your son returns. I'm glad you finally become reasonable again and saved yourself from being hated by your son for cold long years."
"Heng Zhen Gan!" The Empress roared in pure fury as her palm filled with bright orange flames slamming down onto the round wooden table. Not surprisingly, the fire quickly spread all over the table, turning it into a pile of black ashes in lesser than a minute. The fire had not even let off the tea set, burning them along despite they were made in a more fire durable material.
"You just burned your father-in-law's gift for you," Duke Heng nonchalantly reminded her after shifting to a side to avoid the damaged remains.
Placing the Eighth Prince to the floor on his two tiny feet, Duke Heng told his nephew, "Heng Xin, why don't you bring our little prince to play in the gardens?"
Overcoming his shock at the Empress' mighty palm, Heise quickly shook his head. "Don't want to play! I want to stay with uncle!"
"Uncle can't play with you now."
"I want to stay with uncle!"
"Oh, let him stay if he wishes so," the Empress said warmly. "Don't you want him to be affectionate with you?"
Heise: '...' I'm forced to prostitute myself, okay! I only want to be affectionate with Heng Xin! (҂' ﾛ ')凸
Despite feeling the urge to cry, he plastered a bright smile on his face for his cheap uncle.
"I'm still waiting, Zhen Gan," the Empress said tightly, saving Heise from being ushered away and miss listening to this interesting conversation.
"What do I get in return for telling you such priceless information?"
"Honestly, I would recommend you to take over the Minister of Revenue's position with how calculative you are."
"Minister Bin will hate you for suggesting that."
"Why would I care about that greedy pig's opinion of me?" The Empress snorted inelegantly. "Are you going to tell me or not?"
"You do know that the identity of the third prince's teacher is a sensitive matter?"
"Of course, otherwise Long Zhu would not so resolutely keeping it a secret. That is also why I did not kick you out of here when you clearly know who that honorable person is. Do you not wish to meet that little maid? I will allow you so."
All the Empress knew was that this teacher was someone the 19th Emperor of Guilin looked highly upon, for that teacher was someone the 19th Emperor had insisted to be Long Zhu's teacher.
"Allowing me to meet Xiao Hua in exchange for the identity of your son's teacher? That's hardly fair."
The Empress said coldly, "Xin Mei, escort Duke Heng out of the palace."
"No need for that," Duke Heng countered. "Alright, I will accept it since you are too delicate to anger now that you are pregnant."
Everyone: (-_-;)・・・Too late for that!
"The Third Prince's teacher is the legendary Doctor Bai."
The Empress gasped delicately. "Who would have thought? Isn't that also the Fifth Miss Liu's teacher?"
"So she says," Duke Heng said neutrally, not showing what he thought about it.
Fortunately, the adults were busy digesting the news and did not notice Heise's confused expression.
Heise had only randomly created a powerful character just for his female lead to proclaim fake apprenticeship with him. He had given the doctor the name of that hateful author's pen name 'Bai', and even thinks up of depressing and heart wrenching background for him as a way to release his anger and jealousy, not that he had written them inside the novel.
It was impossible that a character alike to an NPC would pick the Third Prince as his student!