Gu Moran knelt back in his original spot, his knees hitting the floor tiles, the cold air seeping into his leg bones through the fabric.
If he answers too quickly, the emperor will suspect that he has prepared a response in advance.
Answering too slowly will make it seem like you're making it up on the spot.
He relaxed his shoulders and back, bent down a little, and first secured the leather shackles of the absurd prince.
"Father, perhaps I was just lucky?"
The emperor sat behind his desk, his palm resting on the edge of the scrolls, the lamplight illuminating the old, yellowed, frayed edges of the pages.
"Just luck?"
Gu Moran raised her head, her eyelids drooping, her face still showing signs of sleeplessness.
"Your subject truly did not know."
"Regarding the matter in Shun'an Lane, I paid the money, the Jingzhao Prefecture took credit, and Chang'an County was in charge. Now that a murder has occurred, my legs are weak, and I wish I could hide back in my blankets."
The emperor stared at him.
"You hid very well."
Gu Moran immediately frowned.
"Your Majesty is wise. I am truly terrified this time, so terrified that all I want to do is go home, hug my blanket, and pretend to be sick."
The emperor still did not accept it.
Gu Moran kowtowed, his forehead touching the floor tiles. The dampness and dust clung to him, making the tension in his mind even tighter.
"Father, to be honest, I don't understand what you mean by 'opportunity'."
"Your subject only knows one thing: with Father Emperor in charge of the Great Yan, even the evil winds blowing south of the city will have to obediently turn away when they reach the Hall of Supreme Ultimate."
Chen Dehai stood to the side, his eyelids lifted half an inch, then closed again.
The emperor did not move his hand from the documents on the desk.
Stop trying to sweet-talk me.
Gu Moran looked up, his shamelessness bordering on righteous indignation.
"What I have said comes from the bottom of my heart."
Having said that, continuing to feign stupidity would be too much; he needed to add a touch of stupidity that would please the emperor.
He pulled out a half-crusted piece of paper that he had prepared beforehand, with traces of alcohol on the edges.
When the emperor saw the paper, his brows furrowed.
"You brought something else with you?"
Gu Moran quickly raised the paper high, as if to show sincerity.
"I was forced to write a poem by Xie Wanqing a couple of days ago, and managed to squeeze out a few lines. I originally intended to present it to Your Majesty when you were in a good mood."
"There's no better day than today; shall I present this to Your Majesty now?"
The emperor looked at him for a moment.
"Read."
Gu Moran cleared his throat and read with all his might, his voice filled with sincerity.
"The emperor's face beams once, then beams twice more."
Chen Dehai lowered his head even further, coughed, and forced back his laughter.
The emperor could see the helplessness in his expression, like watching his foolish son present a treasure.
Gu Moran paused for a moment, then immediately continued reading.
"The sun rises three times, sweeping away the floating clouds and illuminating the eight directions."
After reading it aloud, he stuffed the crumpled paper into his sleeve and said sheepishly, "The poem is finished, but I haven't decided on a title yet. I'll tentatively call it 'Father's Smile is Really Beautiful.'"
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Chen Dehai's shoulders twitched slightly, and he quickly coughed again.
The emperor looked at Gu Moran.
"Is this Xie Wanqing taught you to write?"
Gu Moran immediately responded.
"What I've learned is the essence; it's called expressing one's true feelings directly."
The emperor chuckled.
"Didn't your six kids teach you anything else?"
"There are other things, of course, but, hehe. That's not something you can discuss in the main hall."
Gu Moran raised his sleeve and wiped away non-existent sweat, skillfully playing the victim.
"Father, you don't know, none of the six wives in my household are easy to deal with."
" Su Yao is watching the accounts, Shen Ling'er is forcing me to take medicine, Murong Xue's horse wants to throw me into the mud every day, Lin Qingdai keeps calling me a good-for-nothing, Xie Wanqing is forcing me to study and practice calligraphy, Liu Ruyan won't even let me go to the teahouse or the theater anymore."
"These days, if I drink even one extra cup of wine, I'm asked which restaurant it is, how much a pot costs, and whether there are any girls singing nearby."
The emperor's hand paused on the table.
Gu Moran quickly squeezed into the small gap.
"Regarding the twenty thousand taels from the South City Martial Workshop, I originally intended to feign generosity."
"As a result, Su Yao chased after me for two days with the account books, scolding me so much that I ate half a bowl less of rice."
The emperor did not laugh.
"I warned you before you married them."
Gu Moran blinked and lowered his head.
"So Father Emperor was indeed wise."
The emperor observed him for a few moments, and his suspicions lessened.
"Ha, you little rascal."
"I asked you about the right opportunities, and you recited pretentious poems and talked about women in the inner quarters."
Gu Moran immediately kowtowed.
"Father, please forgive me, I am foolish."
The emperor looked at him and suddenly laughed.
The laughter was brief, lingering in the hall.
"Get lost."
Gu Moran quickly thanked the emperor and stood up.
As I stepped out of the Hall of Supreme Ultimate, the wind was strong, and the stone steps were slippery after the rain. The sound of water running down my shoes carried far along the palace walls.
Eunuch Zhang stood at the corner of the corridor, holding a cup of honey water in his hand.
Gu Moran accepted the cup.
The cup was warm, with a mild honey flavor that perfectly masked the lingering bitterness of the elixir in the room.
Eunuch Zhang hung his head.
"Your Highness, please clear your throat."
Gu Moran pretended to drink water and turned to the side, blocking the gaze of the eunuch in the distance.
"Is something amiss at the Hanzhang Hall?"
Eunuch Zhang did not look up.
"The Empress said it's windy in the palace."
Gu Moran's hand paused on the rim of the cup, the sweetness of the honey water still lingering on his tongue.
Eunuch Zhang continued, "After Your Highness returns to the residence, please keep the windows closed as much as possible to avoid the wind."
Gu Moran drank the honey water all the way through.
Thank you, sir.
Eunuch Zhang took the empty cup back and tapped his hand against the rim of the saucer.
Just one note.
Gu Moran understood.
He walked down the stone steps, where Uncle Fu was already waiting outside the palace gate.
Inside the carriage, a dry cloth and a bowl of refreshing soup were laid out on a small sandalwood table.
Gu Moran the carriage, lifted the curtain, and glanced at the back of the palace road.
The Second Prince's Residence's carriage has already departed.
The tire tracks veered halfway eastward from the city, and the mud and water had not yet receded.
Uncle Fu whispered, "Your Highness, after the Second Prince's Residence's people left the palace, they split into two groups: one returned to the residence, and the other headed east of the city."
Gu Moran sat down, recalling the clue about the Second Prince that the system had given him.
"He should be looking for that old drug slave surnamed Tao now."
The handkerchief in Uncle Fu's hand stopped in mid-air.
"His surname is Tao, Tao Wujiu?"
Gu Moran looked at him.
Uncle Fu knew, as expected.
"You've heard of it?"
Uncle Fu pondered for a moment, and the pungent aroma of the stimulating soup in the carriage wafted out with the steam, wafting between the two of them.
"This old servant has heard of this name in my younger days."
"There used to be a medicine slave in the alchemy workshop with a severed ear, surnamed Tao. He had a burn mark on his wrist and had worked as a handyman in the medicine storehouse of Grand Tutor Liu."
"Later, some said he died, others said he disappeared. If the Second Prince is looking for him now, it's probably because that connection from back then wasn't completely severed, and he's been hiding in the Second Prince's Residence all along."
"But why he fled is still unknown."
Gu Moran lowered his gaze.
The home of Grand Tutor Liu.
The old case of Liu Huaijin.
The Flower-Between Pavilion has subtle patterns.
Elixirs and old wax.
Several threads were tangled together, the knot already tightening around her wrist.
"Return to the residence."
A quarter of an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of Prince Yi's Residence.
As soon as Gu Moran got out of the car, he saw Shen Ling'er standing by the screen wall with a medicine box in her arms.
Cui'er held an umbrella behind her, tilting the umbrella towards Shen Ling'er, while half of her own shoulder was soaked by the rain.
Shen Ling'er raised her chin.
"Finally back."
Gu Moran sighed.
" Madam Shen, the Emperor has just finished his questioning. May I have a drink of water first?"
Shen Ling'er approached and grabbed his wrist.
You drank honey water.
Her nose twitched slightly, and her face immediately darkened.
"The sleeves smelled of cinnabar, sulfur, and lead."
Gu Moran lowered his head and smelled his cuff.
"Is there?"
Shen Ling'er placed the medicine box in front of him, blocking his way.
"Don't pretend."
" Chu Tianxing the Hall of Supreme Ultimate?"
Gu Moran looked at Uncle Fu.
Uncle Fu stepped back half a step, turned to look at the gatekeeper, and pretended not to have heard anything.
Shen Ling'er gripped his wrist even tighter.
What did Chu Tianxing say?
Is there something wrong with Dan?
"Has Father eaten?"