"Your Majesty!"
The young official's soft, warm voice interrupted my wicked thoughts.
"Hmm!"
I flusteredly offered a vague response.
His voice was deep and steady, and his star-like eyes gazed at me with unwavering resolve.
Instead, I found myself growing rather embarrassed under his gaze.
With eyes that affectionate, even if you stared at a dog, the dog would get pregnant!
I forced myself to compose my thoughts, waved a hand toward him, and said, "I understand what you mean, beloved minister."
Upon hearing those words, the young official visibly froze for a few seconds, looking as though I had said something wrong yet again.
I glanced sideways at Prime Minister Murong standing below to my left, hoping he would step in and say a few words.
To my surprise, the man stood there like a piece of wood, lowering his head and remaining entirely silent.
Did he fail to catch my signal for help?
Or was he deliberately having the official behind him step forward to make things difficult for me?
And to think Eunuch Gui actually praised him as a fine official; in my view, the biggest treacherous minister in this entire court was none of him!
Standing on the opposite shore watching the fire, treating the imperial court like a stage play from the front row—he was the one enjoying the show the most.
The young official cupped his hands.
With a solemn expression, he continued, "Your Majesty, it is good that you understand. We only hope Your Majesty will engrave this upon your heart: 'He who exercises government by means of virtue may be compared to the North Polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.' Broadly practice benevolent governance and virtue; only thus can you pacify the state and secure the realm, bringing blessings to all people."
Ugh, Classical Chinese again.
I majored in economics, not ancient Chinese literature.
Did this mean every single day at morning court, I was going to be lectured in Classical Chinese by my ministers?!
Good heavens, I urgently needed a dictionary right now—preferably one that could automatically translate the Classical Chinese coming out of these ministers' mouths.
My head felt as heavy as if it were twice its normal size, and countless buzzing flies seemed to be droning in my ears, driving me to distraction.
Why did this young official have to act like Master Tang Sanzang? Unfortunately, I wasn't Sun Wukong; I didn't possess seventy-two transformations.
Nor did I have a golden-banded staff capable of beating someone to death with a single blow. Besides, he was far too good-looking—I wouldn't have the heart to beat him to death anyway.
Only then did Prime Minister Murong raise his head slightly and steal a glance at me. I hurriedly signaled Eunuch Gui to announce the dismissal of court!
Whoever wanted to work this wretched shift could have it; I didn't want to work another single day.
Going to work is like visiting a grave...
When I finally survived until the end of the shift, I felt utterly drained.
My entire body was practically carried onto the sedan chair by Eunuch Gui and a rather sturdy young eunuch.
The moment I got onto the sedan chair, I collapsed straight into it.
One hand supporting my temple, I half-reclined, and before long, sheer exhaustion dragged me off into sleep.
I had no idea how long I had been asleep when I heard Eunuch Gui calling out by my ear, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
The voice sounded so much like my mother's voice waking me up for work every morning.
I impatiently muttered back, "Agh! Mom, I know, give me five more minutes..."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
Once again came the gentle, persistent calls. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy.
My head was swelling to the point of bursting, too.
Yet my lips could still manage to move a couple of times. "Just five minutes, I'll get up in five minutes..."
A moment later, the shrill voice was gone, replaced by a steady, mellow tone.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, we have arrived at the Imperial Study. Wake up!"
"The Imperial Study?"
Was I filming a TV drama?
I forced open my eyelids, which felt as heavy as two great mountains, and hazily saw a strikingly handsome man in bizarre attire leaning right in front of me.
Good grief! Did my romantic luck finally arrive?
I pursed my lips and leaned forward, but the handsome man nimbly dodged out of the way. I lost my balance and tumbled straight off the sedan chair.
Yes, that's right—face first into the floor, eating dirt.
That fall instantly chased away every trace of sleepiness. Eunuch Gui and a few young eunuchs rushed over in a panic.
Helping me up, he said, "Oh my! Your Majesty, what is wrong with you? Ever since court was dismissed and you got onto the sedan chair, you've been asleep all the way to the Imperial Study."
No wonder I had been half-asleep and disoriented!
I had actually managed to tumble straight out of that luxurious sedan chair.
And looking at these sedan bearers—who had no idea how to carry a sedan chair in the first place—they were shaking in their boots, though they certainly couldn't shirk the blame.
Amidst the swirling chaos, I was frantically hoisted to my feet by them.
My gaze drifted dazedly around my completely unfamiliar surroundings before I instinctively looked down at my lower body.
My word, this towering stature of nearly two meters genuinely startled me; I nearly developed a fear of heights.
Once I regained my composure slightly, I realized this place was not my familiar home, nor was there any sign of my mother, who was always nagging me.
All that surrounded me was boundless unfamiliarity and a bunch of completely new faces. I felt a bit disappointed.
Huh? Wait—there seemed to be one very familiar face.
Frowning, I complained with a hint of grievance, "Prime Minister Murong, why didn't you stop me just now? You let me fall in such a pathetic and miserable state!"
With that, my face filled with reproach and annoyance as I stared straight at the Prime Minister, as if determined to extract an answer from him.
Prime Minister Murong wore an expression of complete detachment, as though it were none of his concern. As the eunuchs helped me up, my slumbering brain finally cleared up considerably.
Lifting my gaze, I spotted three glaring characters directly ahead: "Imperial Study."
No way!
An instant impulse to flee washed over me. Wasn't court already dismissed?
Why did I have to come to the Imperial Study for a review session?!
This... this was simply too terrifying!
Were ancient emperors not human beings, but machines?
My feet seemed to possess a mind of their own, uncontrollably aching to escape this place.
Yet right at that moment, Prime Minister Murong's stiff, serious voice—reminiscent of a rigid bureaucrat—sounded by my ear once more, "Your Majesty, where are you heading?"
"I, I... I need to relieve myself..."
I stammered in response, simply plucking a random excuse out of thin air.
My mind was entirely set on seizing the chance to sneak back to my bedchamber, have a proper sleep, and escape this deeply uncomfortable situation.
"Your Majesty, your Imperial Study has its own private washroom right inside!"
Eunuch Gui's shrill voice gently reminded me from the side.
Hearing this, I cursed inwardly. With a single sentence, this old fellow had utterly blocked off the escape route I had worked so hard to come up with.
I stood frozen in place, looking rather awkward and vexed, a trace of helplessness in my eyes.
I was already this exhausted, and after finishing the morning meeting, I still had to work overtime... Why was my life so bitter?
With no other choice, I dragged my thousand-pound legs and slowly stepped into the Imperial Study. The environment—at once familiar and alien—only added to the oppressive weight in my chest.
Before Eunuch Gui could speak, I dutifully seated myself in the redwood chair beneath the plaque inscribed with the words "Justice and Brightness." Was that a bright yellow table cloth?
I understood. I understood everything. An emperor was supposed to sit obediently beneath this "Justice and Brightness" and honestly listen to his top ministers review the matters of the court... My head was pounding!