LOT - 6

At noon, under Ming Chun’s gaze, which looked like she was on the verge of tears, Rong Mu squatted in the sun for a full hour. By evening, he felt itchy all over. 

After suffering for a good while, he realized mosquitoes were buzzing around his original body (the lotus). His swatting and shooing had no effect, but instead drew stifled laughter and side-glances from the people around him.

The ancient imperial palace was so strict that those serving before the Emperor had to be cautious at every moment; these people had rarely seen someone as vivid and lively as Rong Mu.

He didn't seem to fear His Majesty at all. In the eyes of this Consort, the palace that everyone in Great Shang feared was like a small farm courtyard.

Rong Mu coughed twice. Not yet used to ordering others around, he squatted down himself and tried to lift the flower vat to move it to a different spot.

Ming Chun hurried forward to stop him: "Young Master, you mustn't—"

Rong Mu paused and looked up at the little maid: "What is it?"

Ming Chun said bashfully: "Young Master is His Majesty's favored Consort, how can you do such crude work? You only need to give the word, and the guards will handle it."

Rong Mu weighed his own strength and slowly stood up, brushing off his hands. "Ming Chun."

Ming Chun quickly responded.

Rong Mu looked at her seriously: "No one else dares to call me Young Master instead of my title, yet you took my words to heart. Aren't you afraid Eunuch Lang will punish you?"

Ming Chun’s eyes flickered. She bowed to apologize: "This servant only feels... that a person of such graceful and refined bearing as the Young Master must be right in whatever he says. Ming Chun is grateful to the Young Master and does not wish for the Young Master to be troubled by anything."

Rong Mu let out a long sigh in his heart. Just a tiny bit of kindness was enough to make this girl show him such utter devotion. This palace was full of schemes everywhere, yet he had stumbled upon a little piece of "white paper" that hadn't been polluted yet.

Rong Mu called over two guards. The guards, who had knelt all morning, now kept their eyes fixed straight ahead. Following Rong Mu’s instructions, they moved the flower vat to the entrance of the sleeping quarters, not daring to spare him a single glance.

Seeing them stand stiffly back in their original positions, Rong Mu struck up a casual conversation with Ming Chun under the corridor. "My head is a bit fuzzy after sitting in the sun all day... Ming Chun, what year is it now?"

Ming Chun was startled for a moment, and then her eyes filled with pity and understanding. Although Young Master Rong was exceptionally handsome, his mind seemed somewhat... incomplete.

She whispered: "It is currently the seventh year of Great Shang."

Rong Mu frowned. Great Shang?

Was there such a period in history? Had he truly come to a fictional, alternate world?

Rong Mu asked again: "Then the current Emperor..."

Ming Chun seemed to be a hidden Emperor fan. Mentioning the Emperor clearly made her more talkative: "Our Majesty is in the prime of his life, only 23 this year. His Majesty is wise, divine, and talented in both civil and military arts. Since his coronation, he has governed the court with lightning-fast methods. Great Shang is already showing signs of a prosperous era..."

Rong Mu: "..." Compared to Ming Chun's rainbow farts (extreme flattery), he really felt inferior.

But did that tyrant really have the means to govern a country? No matter how he looked at it, the man seemed like a madman who would make the empire perish with him.

Ming Chun continued: "Although our Majesty seems difficult to get along with, the stipends he gives to subordinates are much more generous than the late Emperor's. There are even monthly days to visit family. Furthermore, His Majesty lives a clean and disciplined life. In the year I've served in Ziyuan Hall, I've never seen His Majesty bring anyone else back, let alone share a bed. You can rest easy, Consort."

Rong Mu had no interest in whether the Emperor lived a clean life. What he was interested in now was the general environment he was in.

"Then, are there other countries nearby?"

Ming Chun nodded proudly: "There are. To the south is the Nandai, and to the west is the Xiyue Kingdom. The Nandai people are numerous, tall, and thin, favoring elegant and refined things. The Xiyue people are savage and overbearing, they only became well-behaved after His Majesty chased them down and beat them several times. Our Great Shang is located in the Central Plains, with abundant resources and vast territory. It is the most powerful of the three nations."

Rong Mu silently repeated "Nandai" and "Xiyue" in his mind, beginning to contemplate which direction he should run to live in peace after he finished acting for the tyrant.

He was about to speak again when Ming Chun continued: "That vat of lotuses you love, Young Master, was likely transported out of the Nandai."

Rong Mu glanced at her: "How do you know?"

A look of nostalgia appeared on Ming Chun’s face: "Before I entered the palace, my family were lotus farmers. We were taught by a lotus master from Nandai. Later, when my parents mastered the craft, they were excellent at growing lotus roots. Back then, I often made lotus root powder with my mother to sell for a living. But later..."

Since it concerned himself, Rong Mu quickly asked: "What happened later?"

Ming Chun’s expression darkened: "That was all when I was a child. Ten years ago, when I was only seven, more than half of the lotus ponds at home died overnight. Those that barely survived withered within a few days. Everyone said it was a bad omen from the heavens. My parents lost their livelihood and, out of desperation, sold me into the palace to get some life-saving money. You might not know, Consort, but that vat of lotuses you like is the only one that has survived in the Great Shang palace in nearly ten years. If a younger child came along, they probably wouldn't even recognize what kind of flower it is."

A storm surged in Rong Mu’s heart. How could this be? According to Ming Chun, Great Shang was in the fertile Central Plains and had a history of growing lotuses. There was no reason they couldn't grow them anymore. This was completely unscientific!

"Then why does Nandai have lotuses?" Rong Mu asked.

Ming Chun whispered: "Nandai has grown lotuses for generations. The palace nobles there love lotuses to the point of obsession. That catastrophe did not reach Nandai, it only ravaged the lands of Great Shang. Back then, the late Emperor ordered that the common people were no longer allowed to mention this kind of 'demon flower'. One side loves lotuses while the other hates them, which has made the relationship between Great Shang and Nandai very dangerous for many years. It wasn't until our Majesty took the throne that the ban was loosened slightly, but it still exists. That's why we servants usually don't dare speak of it."

Rong Mu subconsciously glanced at the Bijianxue under the corridor. This flower had an extremely elegant name for a flower to be given a name showed the cherished love of the person who worked hard to cultivate it.

And he was now the true host of this Bijianxue.

So... he had originally come from the Nandai?

Rong Mu's thoughts spun, his head buzzing. He had thought the Emperor was a mysterious black hole, but he himself was apparently no different.

Furthermore, he had an even bigger secret that no one here, including the Emperor knew: the living, breathing person standing here was actually a male spirit who had emerged from a demon lotus.

This mask (identity) was definitely the right one to wear!

Rong Mu let out a heavy breath. He had felt that the way the Emperor looked at his original body last night was abnormal, as it turned out, his body came from an enemy nation. It was an act of mercy that the tyrant hadn't burned it in a fit of rage.

Ming Chun didn't dare say more and turned the topic back to the Emperor.

"Young Master has a kind heart. His Majesty will surely see it. As long as you gain His Majesty's favor, you will be free to move about this Great Shang palace as you wish."

Rong Mu smiled bitterly.

He didn't want to move about this palace. He wanted nothing more than to be ten thousand miles away from the crazy Emperor. His ideal life would be finding a place where no one knew him and living out his days in ancient times with his secret.

And then he would look for a way to return to the modern world.

Shortly after he finished speaking with Ming Chun, a shout came from outside the main gate. The Emperor's carriage had reached the vicinity of Ziyuan Hall, and the attendants hurriedly knelt to welcome him.

Rong Mu stood by the lotus vat. Dressed in white, he looked even more delicate than the yet-to-bloom Bijianxue.

From their first meeting until now—aside from almost having his throat slit at the start—he hadn't felt much fear when facing the Emperor.

Perhaps they could coexist peacefully for a while. Later, he could negotiate with the Emperor to let him travel to Nandai, which was lotus-friendly...

While Rong Mu was busy with his little calculations, he looked up at the palace entrance and saw a man in Black Imperial following the Emperor's carriage. The man looked no different from the guards on duty in Ziyuan Hall, but Rong Mu could tell at a glance that his equipment was finer than the ordinary guards, and his overall aura was more outstanding.

Like a son of a noble family.

Sure enough, Ming Chun whispered a hint to Rong Mu: "Young Master, the person beside His Majesty is the Young General Li, Li Suichuan, who grew up with His Majesty. He is the leader of the Black Imperial Guards."

Rong Mu looked over and saw that this Young General Li was high-spirited and steady. His legs were exceptionally long. A pair of scrutinizing eyes swept over Rong Mu, and then the general nodded to the Emperor.

Shang Cizhou lowered his eyes: "Did you see clearly?"

Li Suichuan: "In response to Your Majesty, I saw clearly."

The Emperor stepped down from the carriage and said in a low voice: "Since you've seen clearly, don't look anymore. Go and ask the guards outside what he has been doing today. Investigate carefully just where this beauty, my little Consort, sprang from."

Shang Cizhou had said he wouldn't pursue Rong Mu's origins, but he had never promised not to investigate him privately. He was used to holding every person and every matter in the palm of his hand, Rong Mu was currently his top-tier novelty.

Li Suichuan lowered his eyes, his peripheral vision unable to resist glancing at the youth in white once more.

The youth stood beside a rare lotus vat, not bowing. His figure was slender and his features were as clean as snow, more enchanting even than the lotus plant beside him. He looked toward Li Suichuan with a puzzled expression, his whole being radiating peace and gentleness.

With such bearing and temperament, it was no wonder His Majesty treated him so exceptionally.

Li Suichuan bowed and withdrew. After walking two steps, something occurred to him and he turned his head sharply. He saw the Emperor stepping into Ziyuan Hall, his pace seemingly about thirty percent faster than usual.

Li Suichuan forgot what he had just thought of and simply stood there stunned.

...Such a hurried pace, as if rushing home. He hadn't seen that on His Majesty in a very long time.​