Media: Duke Li
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"A'Chun, don't stand there!" Mao Zhen couldn't help but whisper in a harsh tone.
Hong Chun was absentminded so her friend had to gesture to her head in a subtle manner.
Only then did she try to maneuver where there was no direct sunlight but it was hard when there were people in all directions.
She was grateful though that everyone was busy doing their own thing or admiring the parade they were seeing.
Mao Zhen helped to pull her to what was considered a safe place.
"Careless lass! You haven't touched it up with the thing I gave you?" The girl flicked Hong Chun's forehead.
"Ouch! It was really time-consuming so I sometimes forget. Don't worry, no one cares about it anyway."
They were talking about Hong Chun's little secret.
Both her parents had dark hair and she was some sort of a natural brunette since she was a child but back then, it wasn't too visible unless one leaned in close to her.
She had her suspicions but she could see the husband and wife genuinely cared for her. Not wanting to make things hard for them, she kept quiet about it.
But the blasted hair seemed to get lighter and became more obvious when she hit puberty.
Her friend (the only person who could put up with her uninteresting personality), Mao Zhen, came from a family of merchants. And it was her idea to give Hong Chun traditional hair dye which was normally used by the old madams of the capital.
She had been using the dye since she was fourteen.
It was only called hair dye but its effects weren't anything near the hair dyes in her original world. It was in powder form and one had to brew it with water and form a thick paste. Then, she had to massage it onto her scalp to the ends of her strands.
She even had to be careful not to dye her forehead or nape! It was really meticulous and she still had to be careful not to get caught.
Hong Chun was quite amazed at how a lazy person such as her could put this kind of effort just for the sake of not making her family awkward.
If it was her of the past, she wouldn't give two shits about other people's feelings.
But she forgot to dye her hair these past few days so its true color started to show especially under the sunlight.
However since they were in a crowded place, no one would really question her origins here so she was carefree. She only needed to be careful around her parents and gossipy neighbors.
Once away from the crowd, the two soon parted ways to go home.
Meanwhile, the center of attention was having small talk with the prince who was assigned to accompany and welcome his group.
"On this good day, this one has troubled the honorable thirteenth prince." The gentleman clasped his fisted hand to show his gratitude.
"What is Duke Li saying? It's this prince's honor to know such a brilliant general like you! This prince is grateful to Brother Emperor for giving this opportunity to be your host."
This prince had one specialty and it was bootlicking to those who were in power. He believed he survived the fight for the throne because of this special talent.
But in truth, his brother didn't deem it necessary to get rid of a guy like him and even let him retain his empty title.
"Truly, Hanjing is a magnificent sight. I'm glad we came here earlier than most delegates-"
The fair Duke was riding his rhythm as he knew it wouldn't cost him much to throw a few pleasantries. But as he was saying this, something caught his eyes from the crowd.
In a sea of dark crowns, that splash of color stood out. It was a familiar figure of someone close to his heart.
Unknowingly, he stopped walking and tried to look for that silhouette again.
"Duke Li? Is something the matter?" The prince curiously asked when he saw the duke wasn't following him anymore.
The one called Duke Li shook his head and laughed in a lighthearted manner.
"Nothing! For a moment there, I thought I saw someone I know but I remembered I'm not in my home city where everyone knew each other."
The prince couldn't help but also laugh at this momentary silliness shown by this amiable war god.
They said Duke Li still had this kind of cheerfulness when on the battlefield which caused shivers down the prince's spine.
How could someone cheery and bright belong to the carnage and violence of war?
Did he still have the same smiles whenever he made his kill?
One couldn't blame his imagination as this prince was the youngest of the previous emperor's sons and because the former Head Consort doted on him, he never experienced being sent to the battlefield.
Without his title, he was only a true mama's boy. A dandy who didn't know anything except what his mother told him.
But his imagination wasn't far from the truth either.
The Duke was a person who always wore a light smile. He seemed to be affable and gracious but that was also how he looked like when dealing with his enemies on the frontline.
That was why the soldiers secretly (but not so secret anymore) called him Gracious Devil.
Duke Li was vaguely aware of the prince's wariness towards him so even if he really wanted to, he couldn't signal one of his men to confirm just what he saw.
The thirteenth prince was on high alert because of fear and nervousness. He would take notice of any movement on his (DL) part.
In the end, the duke could do nothing but follow the prince towards the residence reserved for them.
The prince generously told him that whether if it was touring around Hanjing or if it was seeking an audience with the Emperor, they could just send him a message. And he would accompany them in person.
He also made sure that the duke was satisfied with the residence before going on his way.
"What a good prince!" An annoyed smile hooked on the edge of Duke Li's lips.
It seemed that the Emperor of Hanjing really valued him that he even sent a prince to fetch him from the gates.
But what kind of protocol was it to leave their horses from there and walk all the way to the residential district?
The delegates from the other nations would laugh at his Huo Ai country for falling for such cheap tricks.
But even so, he could let them play and he'd play with them too.
For now, he had other things to worry about. Something this small wouldn't affect his country in the long run.
On the other hand, the prince who was all smiles just now went back to his estate and rested for a bit.
After a while, he saw the special paper on his desk and decided to swiftly report what happened today.
Satisfied with his detailed report, he shouted for one of his guards and instructed them to have it delivered without delay.
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"My dear, there's something peculiar with this duke from Huo Ai." A dainty voice rang out in the magnificent hall.
"Don't tell me you believe my brother's nonsense?" It must be noticed that the one who replied didn't address himself as zhen in front of his only lover.
>A/N: 朕 - zhèn - a pronoun 'I' that is exclusively used by an Emperor.<
A laugh chimed as there were two figures cuddling on the dragon bed.
The man with marvelous bearing looked softly at his Empress.
"You know I never doubted your intuitions. We can arrange for someone to tail that duke's actions."
The lady hummed in reply. "I heard he's very capable?"
"But you were the one who told me a fish needs to adjust if it was to migrate in the big ocean. No matter how capable he is, he's in a foreign land. He can't do as he pleases here."
"Don't be overconfident. Don't forget how we got to where we are. We can't stuff our heads with cotton now that we're up here, Yi Ran." Nuo Ying Su still wanted to nag but was stopped by a pair of lips onto hers.
"I know, I know. I can never compare to my careful Empress." Long Yi Ran murmured, full of love and passion.
He would not forget the hardships they faced. And the next few months would be just as important as when he was fighting for the throne.
They shouldn't ignore the little things that could grow big sooner or later.
Long Yi Ran was just too lucky to have someone beside him who would always accompany him and remind him of the stuff he tended to ignore.
This woman was one of a kind.
And she would be the only one in his heart for the rest of their lives.
He swore this to the heavens the day he fell for her.
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奉恩鎮國公 - fèng'ēn zhènguó gōng - Duke of the First Rank (Duke Li's rank)