[ 21 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

!!! Doesn't he know that oppressing (NT: "欺负君" (qī fù jūn) oppressing, bullying) the emperor is still considered deceiving (NT: 欺君 (qī jūn) deceiving, taking advantage of) the emperor?!!!!!!

Hell, Zhen agreed to leave something to remember me by, but who spent an entire night doing that?!

Now Zhen can’t even kneel to review memorials!

Today, Zhen is reviewing them lying down!

He must’ve done it on purpose! On purpose to exhaust Zhen before heading to the battlefield!

And what was that nonsense about, "If Chen (NT: I for the empress) squeezes the Emperor dry, then he won’t have the energy to take concubines"?!

Zhen —Zhen wasn’t worn out!

Zhen was just... just making sure he had plenty to remember me by!

The Emperor rolled over in bed, baring his teeth as he grumbled.

He recalled the early dawn when the fully dressed Empress had left a kiss on his forehead.

Hisarmor was cold with frost, but his kiss was warm.

He softly said:

“Sisi, wait for me to come back.”

That scoundrel—using Zhen’s childhood nickname again!

The Emperor rolled over once more, burying his face in the brocade covers.

It seemed like he was almost in tears.

[ 22 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

Now that the Empress had left, the Emperor could finally have sweet porridge for breakfast again.

But this porridge wasn’t sweet at all!

The imperial chef’s salary must be deducted for a month!

The emperor was in a particularly bad mood today as he strolled into the Empress Dowager's palace.

The Empress Dowager was busy playing with her cat and didn’t pay the emperor any attention.

This made the emperor even more displeased.

Still miserable, the emperor wandered over to the imperial study.

The study was a serious place, and to avoid any awkwardness, the emperor rarely set foot there.

Therefore, he had no idea that the empress’s calligraphy was hanging on the wall.

The handwriting was beautiful—strong, sharp strokes full of power.

He better remember to write to Zhen when he is away!

Otherwise, hmph!

[ 23 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

Although the empress's letter finally arrived.

??? It took three days to write the first letter to Zhen after arriving at his destination?

And the content of the letter was all official business!

The emperor angrily tossed the letter aside.

After a while, he reluctantly picked it up again, preparing to fold it neatly and tidy it.

While folding the letter, the emperor suddenly realized something was very wrong.

The first line of text, when read from right to left, said:

"Your servant misses His Majesty very much."

The emperor blushed.

[ 24 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

Although he had received the good news long ago.

But why wasn't the report written by the empress?!

He didn’t even reply to Zhen’s last letter!

Was he too busy?

Was he heartless?

Or… Was he injured?

The emperor’s heart sank.

 

[ 25 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

“I want to lead the expedition myself,” the emperor said with a frown as he looked at the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister was taken aback: “Your Majesty, you absolutely cannot do that.”

The emperor’s expression grew even more troubled: “Zhen dreamt last night that A-Yun was injured.”

The Prime Minister remained calm: “Your Majesty, fortune favours you; Her Majesty will surely be safe.”

The emperor looked pitifully at him: “A-Yun hasn’t been on the battlefield for two years. Zhen is still worried. If only Zhen could send the general to provide support.”

The corners of the Prime Minister’s eyebrows twitched: “The general and his troops are stationed outside the imperial city, Your Majesty shouldn't joke about the safety of the capital. If Your Majesty really wants to feel secure, Your Majesty should send an elite guard to the army to protect the empress’s safety.”

The emperor's eyes lit up.

“But…”

The emperor: “?”

“I heard that Your Majesty hasn’t been focused on governance these past few days. How can Your Majesty expect the empress to feel at ease in battle if Your Majesty is like this? Today, I’ll stay with Your Majesty and help Your Majesty finish reviewing the memorials.”

The emperor: “???”

 

[ 26 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

The emperor had chosen the smartest and most reliable guard from his elite group to deliver his letter to the empress.

The emperor's letter was written in great detail over eight pages, far more serious than any memorial he reviewed. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister had been busy reviewing memorials all night, and by the time the emperor returned, the Empress dowager’s Persian cat had already snagged a thread from the edge of his dragon robe, leaving a big mess.

As expected, the guard was reliable. In just three days, the empress's letter and package were neatly placed on the emperor's desk.

The emperor eagerly tore open the package first. What was this? A jar of blue salt for brushing teeth?!!

He then opened the letter, which simply stated four words: "Do not eat sweets."

The emperor: “??!!”

Where was the reliable guard Zhen was promised?

How could they sell Zhen out first!

[ 27 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

Because the secret letter from the guard finally arrived.

The guard's letter, just two small notes, made the emperor's heart race.

The first note: The injury on the emperor's right arm will heal.

— Hmph! No wonder he hasn't written to Zhen lately!

What happened to him being injured? The emperor angrily looked at the second note.

The second note: The southern barbarian princess is quite brave and seems to have feelings for the empress, She personally challenges the Empress to battle every day.

Emperor: ??? Why hasn’t this troublesome princess been dealt with yet???

Darn it, Zhen forgot to tell him to avoid attracting bees and butterflies!! (NT: metaphore for attracting romantic attention or courting.)

[ 28 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

Last night, Zhen wrote sixteen pages overnight to warn the emperor against attracting bees and butterflies, and now Zhen has two panda eyes, bored listening to the court meeting.

As for the court meeting, the main speakers were the Imperial censors.

The concubine of Minister Lin’s son got into a fight with the son-in-law of Deputy Zhao; the left Censor family’s dog ate the former vice-minister's daughter-in-law’s chicken;

For months, the Honglu Temple borrowed a famous painting from the Guanglu Temple, but the painting got dirty, and to this day, they hadn't compensated for it. The Guanglu Temple couldn’t swallow their anger; they directly hung the painting at the gate of the Honglu Temple.

Yesterday, the heir of Marquis An married the son of Marquis Changle, and after drinking, he flirted with the Prime Minister, resulting in the General slapping him so hard that half of his teeth flew out. Now the wife of Marquis Changle was still crying in the Empress dowager’s Palace.

The emperor boredly changed hands to prop himself up, staring at the Imperial censor, who was reprimanding the General for overstepping his authority, and thought to himself that it was really easy to stand and talk.

Let the family protect their own wives! What does it have to do with anyone else!

Look when today’s court has finished! Let's see if the General will throw you in a sack and give you a beating!

Then the Imperial censor said, “I also heard that the empress practices and punishes soldiers in the military camp! The Duke of State is indeed well-educated!” The emperor raised his eyebrows.

The empress is Zhen's wife! Mind your own business!

Do you really want Zhen to put you in a sack too?!

My wife is just so strict about military discipline and must lead by example!

Zhen must firmly resist the Imperial censor’s kind of idle gossip!

How dare they discuss someone else's wife!

Get ready to be put in a sack!

 

 

[ 29 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

Although last night he and the general dealt with that Imperial censor! The general was in charge of putting him in a sack, and the emperor did the beating.

The emperor who had fiercely vented his anger, returned to the palace and happily ordered dinner.

Wait a minute, why aren't the walnuts that Zhen specified here?

The head of the imperial kitchen trembled and knelt down: "Your Majesty, according to the empress’s orders, sweet food must not be served to you."

The emperor responded: "??? Zhen must eat that! This is a royal edict!"

The head chef looked at the emperor awkwardly: "Your Majesty, please consider..."

The emperor, furious, slammed the table: "Consider what?!"

"To say that if Your Majesty wants to eat it, this servant must keep track of how many bowls of sweet porridge and how many pieces of pastries His Majesty has consumed."

The emperor's face turned dark, and he muttered some words.

—"Accounts will be settled in Autumn !"

 

 

[ 30 ]

The emperor was not very happy today.

Although the injury on the empress's hand had healed, allowing him to write letters again, the barbarians had also been driven away.

However, the empress’s letters and the secret letters from the guards were like one in the southern sky and the other in the northern sea!!

Every day, Zhen receives letters saying that Zhen is the one at fault! Do you know that the guards have been secretly reporting to Zhen!

The emperor silently kept a little account in his mind! When the empress returns, he will settle the accounts in autumn!

For example, the emperor wrote a letter complaining about being criticized by the prime minister for his memorials.

Imperial Guard: Her Majesty, now that his injury has healed, is practicing more diligently. Recently, he has often engaged with the troops to perfect his martial skills!

Empress: Focus on reviewing the memorials; if you have questions, ask the Prime Minister.

For example, the Emperor wrote a letter asking the empress not to attract bees and butterflies..

Imperial Guard: The Southern Barbarian Princess has challenged us to battle for the eighteenth time! This is the eighteenth time the Empress has accepted the challenge!

Emperor: Focus on reviewing the memorials, and don’t wander around the Empress dowager’s palace too much; there are too many palace maids there.

For instance, the Emperor wrote a letter questioning why the empress kept track of how many sweet congee and sweet cakes he was eating!

This time, the Imperial Guard's secret letter came very quickly: the Empress had someone find two pastry chefs, claiming they would make pastries that are different from those in the palace. After the battles are over, the empress plans to bring them back to the capital.

The Emperor felt even sweeter than if he had eaten ten pounds of sugar twists, just as the empress’s letter arrived. The Emperor happily opened the letter to read.

Empress: How many pieces did you eat, and over how many days?

Emperor: ???!!!

 

Translator : DarNan