Chapter 363: Better Be Wary
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
When Su Ying walked out of the cabin, she saw that Xiang Lin had already fainted from the beating.
Zhou Zheng heard the noise and turned around to look at Su Ying with a conflicted expression. There was a trace of displeasure in his eyes, but he still held back his dissatisfaction and picked Xiang Lin up from the bench and brought her to the small boat to leave.
“That scholar likes her?” Su Ying glanced at Wei Siyuan.
Wei Siyuan was now very respectful to Su Ying, so when he heard her question, he answered truthfully, “It should be. Previously, Zhou Zheng asked me for permission to marry Xiang Lin, but she didn’t accept his proposal.”
“Better be wary of them.” Today’s incident might very well tear apart their loyalty to Xiao Jin. Who knew if they would betray Xiao Jin?
Although Wei Siyuan didn’t want to admit it, he knew that Su Ying’s worries weren’t unlikely.
“Cousin-in-law, don’t worry. I know what to do.”
Fortunately, the matters that the two of them were in charge of previously did not involve Xiao Jin’s core interests. It would not arouse suspicion easily if they were transferred to do other things.
Su Ying stood on the deck and very soon, she caught a whiff of the rich aroma of roasted fish.
She didn’t know that Xiao Jin really knew how to roast fish.
As the fragrance grew stronger, Su Ying couldn’t resist walking to the stern of the ship. Xiao Jin was roasting the fish on the stove rack using charcoal. The closer she got, the stronger the fragrance became.
“It smells so good.”
Xiao Jin looked at Su Ying with eyes that were almost overflowing with honey-coated doting love which he himself didn’t even realize. “It’ll be done soon.”
Xiao Jin didn’t make her wait too long before the fish was ready.
After he put the roasted fish on the plate, he didn’t hand it to her immediately but quietly picked out the bones on the fish before handing the fish meat to her. He still remembered the first time she ate fish and a fish bone got stuck in her mouth. From then on, whenever she ate fish, he would pick out the fish bones before giving the fish to her.
The two little ones watched from the side. They watched Xiao Jin pick out all the bones from the fish before giving the plate to Su Ying.
Su Ying was already waiting eagerly. She picked up her chopsticks and started eating. She did not notice the two little ones staring intently at all. One could only blame the roasted fish for being too delicious.
The two little ones were craving roasted fish so much that they were drooling from the corners of their mouths.
Xiao Jin continued to roast the fish.
After Su Ying finished eating, she still felt it was not enough. She raised her head and saw the two little ones staring at her.
Su Ying raised her eyebrows and rubbed her nose before saying, “It tastes good.”
The two little ones were heartbroken and burst into tears at once.
After the family ate and drank to their hearts’ content, Wei Siyuan came to Xiao Jin’s side and said, “There hasn’t been any unusual movement from the Grand Mentor’s Residence. Could it be that they really only intend to retain Xiao Jue’s life?”
Xiao Jin narrowed his eyes. “They’re just waiting for an opportunity.”
Wei Siyuan did not understand. “Are they really going to rebel?”
Xiao Jin sneered. “Why not? Get people to keep a close eye on them and help our guys when necessary.”
“Alright.”
When the sun was about to set, the family of four finally went home.
Upon returning to the city, Su Ying could clearly feel the tense atmosphere in the city. Even the pedestrians on the streets were fewer than usual.
Su Ying and her group had just stepped into the city when an entourage of people arrived.
The two horse carriages in the middle of the group had the emblem of Prince Ma on them. The guards were all tall and mighty, and their expressions were stern. One could tell with one look that they were not to be messed with.
The soldiers guarding the city saw the emblem of Prince Ma and immediately sent people into the palace to report to the Emperor.
An hour later, the eunuch came to report that Prince Ma and his son were outside the palace seeking an audience.
When Prince Ma’s entourage left Prince Ma City, Emperor Kangze already knew about it. However, they arrived at the capital faster than he had expected.
“Let them in.”
“Announcing the arrival of Prince Ma and Prince Ma’s Young Prince.” After a short while, Emperor Kangze saw Prince Ma and his group walking over.
Prince Ma and Sima Chen walked into the main hall and bowed. “Your humble servant pays his respects to Your Majesty.”
Emperor Kangze had a faint smile on his face as he personally walked forward to help Prince Ma up.
“Do rise. I have not seen you for a long time.”
Prince Ma stood up with a helpless expression. “Previously, when Your Majesty issued an edict, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to return to the capital. It was just that my wife’s body was weak and she couldn’t move around and stress herself out. For the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration this time, if I still did not come, it would make Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager sad. Therefore, I could only let the Princess Consort stay in the city to recuperate and just bring my child here to meet Your Majesty.”
Emperor Kangze turned to look at Sima Chen. “1 remember that when 1 last saw this child, he was only this tall. Now, he’s taller than me.”
Prince Ma sighed. “He’s useless. He only knows how to recite poems and paint all day long. He doesn’t do anything meaningful. Sigh.”
“Gosh! What’s wrong with reciting poems and painting to cultivate one’s mind? Over the past few days, you two have had a tiring journey coming all the way to the capital. Go back and rest well first. On the Empress Dowager’s birthday, I will have a drinking competition with you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Then I will take my leave.”
The moment the two of them disappeared from the hall, the smile on Emperor Kangze’s lips gradually vanished.
“Prepare to go to Conjugal Phoenix Palace.”
Ever since Emperor Kangze ascended to the throne, the Empress Dowager had handed over the control of the Imperial harem’s quarters to the Empress. She rarely asked about the affairs of the palace. Other than appearing during the Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year, and her birthday, no one else could see her under normal circumstances.
Everyone in the palace said that Empress Dowager believed in Buddhism. Emperor Kangze even built a small temple hall within the grounds of Conjugal Phoenix Palace and ordered that no one was to interrupt the Empress Dowager so as not to affect her meditation.
When Emperor Kangze arrived at Conjugal Phoenix Palace, the main doors of Conjugal Phoenix Palace were locked. The eunuch went forward and knocked on the door for quite a while before the palace door slowly opened.
When the palace maid saw that Emperor Kangze had arrived, she was so frightened that she immediately curtsied. “Your humble servant greets Your Majesty.”
Emperor Kangze walked in. Everywhere he looked, there was an air of desolation.
When he approached the inner hall, he detected the smell of incense.
“Your Majesty, please wait a moment. Your humble servant will go in and inform.”
Emperor Kangze gestured with his hand and walked in right away.
The Empress Dowager was kneeling on a floor cushion reciting scriptures, so when Emperor Kangze entered, she didn’t notice him at all.
Emperor Kangze glanced at the Buddha statue in the middle of the hall, then walked to a chair at the side and sat down.
The Empress Dowager only realized Emperor Kangze was sitting at the side after she opened her eyes when she finished reciting the scriptures. She was astounded for a moment. Then she asked the palace maids to help her up.
Her eyes were peaceful, but she looked a little indifferent. When she saw Emperor Kangze, she slowly said, “When did Your Majesty arrive?”
“Just now. 1 didn’t say anything to disturb you when I saw you were reciting scriptures, Empress Mother.”
The Empress Dowager gestured for Emperor Kangze to follow her out. “This place is full of the smell of incense. I’m afraid that Your Majesty won’t be used to it. Has Your Majesty taken dinner?”
Emperor Kangze went to the main hall and sat down. “No. I specially came over to have a meal with Empress Mother.”
The Empress Dowager then asked the palace maids to serve the food.
After the Empress Dowager became a devout Buddhist, she only ate vegetarian food every day.
“I don’t have meat to offer you.”
Emperor Kangze smiled. “It won’t hurt to miss a meal of meat. It’s rare that 1 have time to accompany Empress Mother today. Initially, I wanted to ask Prince Ma and his son to come and pay their respects to Empress Mother. I totally forgot about this.”
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager’s expression froze..