If I hurry back, I can still make it in time to spend Chinese New Year's Eve with my family.
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: Get rid of the old year and all the bad luck, the New Year will be much better. A little kitty burning incense and praying. jpg
Next update at 6:00 PM~
Chapter 281
Wu Sangui was, naturally, placed in a prisoner carriage.
Lu Zheng had been by Fu's side for a long time and knew what Wu Sangui had done in Datong; if he didn't have to escort the prisoner back, he would have loved to stab Wu Sangui to death on the spot.
Meanwhile, Wu Sangui sat in the prisoner transport, trembling as he observed his surroundings; only then did he realize that the number of Ming Army soldiers arriving was not large, at most only one or two hundred people.
So, from beginning to end, it was nothing more than a trap set for him by the alliance between the Tumet and the Prince of Yue's subordinates.
At this moment, Wu Sangui desperately wanted to save himself, but it seemed he no longer had the opportunity.
He was not only trapped in the prisoner carriage, but he was also bound tightly, with something stuffed in his mouth except when he was eating.
The weather was cold, it was already cold inside the prisoner carriage; once he was tied up, he couldn't even move to warm himself.
Every breath of life was an agony.
Wu Sangui had also thought about whether he should just die to end it all. Although he could not bring himself to do it, he wouldn't die from a hunger strike either, looking at Lu Zheng's demeanor, he didn't seem to care whether he lived or died.
But he could not bear to die; as long as there was even a glimmer of hope, he wanted to struggle, even if he had no chance, he still wanted to see if there was a chance.
Unfortunately, even after arriving in Beijing, he never found such an opportunity.
But it didn't matter; perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope, as long as he could meet the Emperor.
Wu Sangui was very confident that the Emperor would grant him an audience; after all, he was a figure of some significance. However, what he never expected was that on his first day being escorted to Beijing, he would be sent to the execution grounds on the second.
Wu Sangui was still filled with disbelief when he was pinned down on the execution grounds.
Why wouldn't the Emperor even grant him a meeting? Didn't the Ministry of Justice need to conduct an interrogation? Most importantly, was the execution really scheduled to take place right before the New Year?
Some people shared the same doubts as him.
Zhu Ci said very cordially, "Isn't this just perfect? A bit of red is so festive, a prosperous new year."
Wait.. Your Majesty, is this shade of red correct?
However, the officials in the court did not argue with Zhu Ci regarding this matter, as the Emperor had not executed Wu Sangui's entire family; he had merely sent them all to undergo labor reform.
After getting rid of Wu Sangui, Zhu Ci felt relieved and was particularly satisfied with the Tumet's tactfulness.
So he specifically met with Lamazabu.
Lamazabu was extremely excited when he met the Emperor, he performed a grand salute with a face flushed with joy.
Zhu Ci said in a gentle voice, "Lamazabu Taiji, there is no need for such formality. Rise. Someone, prepare a seat."
After Lamazabu rose, he sat down very respectfully, then took a bold glance at the Emperor sitting on the imperial throne, but once he looked, he could not pull his gaze away.
Zhu Ci had already begun to exchange pleasantries, asking him how the current situation in Guihua City was and if there were any difficulties.
When he realized that he had been speaking for a long time while the person opposite him just stared blankly without saying a word, he couldn't help but chuckle.
Jiang Xueyan, standing to the side, muttered to herself, "Why does this barbarian from the outer tribes seem to have no sense of etiquette at all?"
Just as she was about to step forward to remind him, Lamazabu was snapped out of his daze by the Emperor's smile, he repeatedly begged for forgiveness, saying, "His Majesty's countenance is as handsome as a celestial being; I beg Your Majesty to forgive my rudeness."
Zhu Ci had not intended to pursue the matter anyway, he even good-naturedly asked about his previous words.
Lamazabu answered in a standard, proper manner.
Neither side discussed anything in great depth during this meeting; they merely tested each other's attitudes. Lamazabu was somewhat surprised by the gentleness of this rumored iron-blooded emperor.
Similarly, Zhu Ci was also surprised.
“Lamazabu's attitude.. why does it feel a bit too accommodating?” Zhu Ci thought for a long time but couldn't come up with the right term, so he could only add, “If I didn't know his identity, I would suspect he was a subject of Great Ming.”
Zhu Ci actually had little experience in receiving foreign leaders, but in his impression, the foreign leaders of this period were basically only respectful on the surface to the emperors of the Central Plains; in reality, they did not hold the emperors in much regard, even their respect was often just a means to seek benefits.
But Lamazabu's attitude was quite intriguing; when he answered questions, he was not only respectful but even showed a hint of humility.
Fu said in a flat tone, "Lamazabu is naturally grateful to His Majesty. Originally, the Tumet had already submitted to the Manchus, they were split into East and West Tumet by the Manchus. He was nothing more than an idle Taiji; without His Majesty, his life would have ended just like this. How could he have ever held real power or seen the day when the Tumet grew strong?"
The Tumet was originally a large tribe. At that time, the Qing Court was concerned about being unable to control the Tumet, so they directly split the Tumet into East Tumet and West Tumet, then selected a leader Taiji for each to be granted a Zhaolin.
The original Tumet Taiji, Lamazabu, did not become a Taiji of either side, let alone hold any official position.
Later, the Tumet did not fare very well. Aside from the two newly appointed Zhaolin families, the original Tumet noble families were all being suppressed, which was the primary reason the Tumet turned to join the Great Ming.
It could be said that if not for the Great Ming, Lamazabu might not even have survived until now; as the former leader, he was a thorn in the sides of those two.
Zhu Ci understood after hearing this. He tilted his head and looked at Fu and asked, "Do you hate him?"
The Prince of Yue's tone just now was almost like a machine, a completely emotionless statement; one could tell immediately that something was wrong.
Fu feigned indifference and quickly denied it, "No, I have never met Lamazabu before, how could I dislike him?"
“You say you don't hate him, but if you truly didn't, why are you so eager to deny it?” Zhu Ci leaned in and looked up at him, asking, “What did he do to make you unhappy? Tell me, I'll get even for you.”
Fu originally intended to deny it, but his abnormality could indeed not be hidden from the Little Emperor. In the end, he could only avert his eyes, not daring to look into Zhu Ci's eyes, managed to say in a rare, halting voice, "He.. He lacks reverence for His Majesty."
Hmm? Weren't they just discussing Lamazabu's overly respectful attitude? How could he be lacking in reverence?
Zhu Ci stared at him for a long time, noticing that Fu kept looking left and right but refused to look at him. He couldn't help but reach out to cup his face, forcing him to turn his head.
Zhu Ci had originally intended to ask Fu where he had sensed it, but before he could ask, a flash of inspiration struck him, he spoke up, "Are you unhappy because he is looking at me?"
Fu said nothing, still forcing a calm expression on his face, but his ears betrayed his feelings, turning bright red.
This blush even showed signs of spreading to his cheeks.
His skin was naturally fair, so the blush appeared quite prominent at this moment.
Zhu Ci laughed twice, leaned in to kiss the corner of his lips, said, "Why are you so cute?"
Fu Lue lowered his eyes and looked at him, feeling uncharacteristically guilty. He hesitated for a long moment before saying, "It is I who am being petty and lacking in magnanimity.."
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Author's Note: Zhu Ci: Sigh, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; I never thought I would find Fu cute one day. A kitty rubbing its head against Fu's chin. jpg
Next update tomorrow morning at six o'clock
Chapter 282
Zhu Ci let out a soft laugh upon hearing this, turned around to sit directly on his lap, rested her chin on his shoulder, saying, "It's alright, it's perfectly normal. If one day you stop being so meticulous about these things, that would mean you no longer love me."
Fu Qingsheng felt even more uneasy after hearing this. When he was with Zhu Ci, no matter how intimate they were, he would never feel shy, he could even tease the Little Emperor from time to time, yet he found it difficult to say the word "love" so casually.
In contrast, Zhu Ci was much more composed.
Fu reached out to embrace Zhu Ci and said softly, "Your Majesty carries the weight of all the people on your shoulders and is naturally revered by them; this is nothing out of the ordinary. I.."
I don't even mind you being jealous, so why are you reflecting on this now?" Zhu Ci said, biting and then licking his neck. "Just tell me the next time you're jealous. It's fine to throw a little tantrum; after all, if anyone else tries to flirt with you, I'm definitely going to make a scene.
Sometimes, throwing a little tantrum can be part of the romance.
Anyway, neither he nor Fu was an emotionally unstable person, so things would never escalate to a point where they couldn't be brought under control.
A little bit of fun~
Zhu Ci was just about to say those four words when he suddenly felt his body lift off the ground. He hurriedly grabbed Fu's waist and said, "Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?"
Fu said nothing, merely looking up at him.
Zhu Ci understood instantly. He looked up at the outside, originally wanting to say that it wasn't appropriate in broad daylight, but he swallowed the words back after thinking about it.
Fu had always been very strict and self-restrained with himself. Even after they were together, he would occasionally be overly cautious, Zhu Ci had to exert a great deal of effort to help him relax.
As a person, as long as you don't break the law or affect public order and good morals, there is nothing wrong with being a bit more unrestrained in private.
Now Fu had finally learned to follow his heart, he didn't want to be a killjoy.
Anyway, it's the New Year holiday, so there's no need to worry about an accumulating workload.
The only one affected was Lamazabu, because Zhu Ci had originally intended to meet with him in the afternoon to have a more in-depth discussion regarding the Guihua issue of the Tumet, but now it would have to be postponed.
After receiving the news, Lamazabu asked with great concern, "Is His Majesty feeling unwell? I have brought many precious herbs from the grasslands; could you please ask the Envoy to deliver them to him on my behalf?"
Jiang Xueyan, who had come to deliver the message, thought to herself that those medicines probably wouldn't treat the symptoms.
Her Majesty's His Majesty is actually suffering from total physical exhaustion.
Of course, saying he was exhausted wouldn't be entirely accurate.
At least Zhu Ci still had the strength to mess around in the bath.
Although after his antics, he lay sprawled on Fu, feeling drowsy.
Fu embraced him with satisfaction, feeling that she was becoming increasingly insolent, yet at the same time, she found herself somewhat addicted to the feeling.
Zhu Ci's eyes were half-lidded, he said in a slightly hoarse voice, "You can't make such a scene tomorrow; I still have to see Lamazabu."
It was already a bit embarrassing to have stood him up today, he couldn't just act recklessly just because the other person had a high favorability toward him; favorability wasn't something that stayed high forever.
Fu watched the long hair of the two of them floating in the pool, couldn't help but pick up a strand and drape it together.
Silver and black stood in stark contrast.
He said while fiddling with something in his hands, "This servant will go in your Majesty's stead."
Zhu Ci let out a snort. "That won't do. What if you get annoyed with him and a fight breaks out?"
Fu said with an expressionless face, "I merely find him disagreeable, but I wouldn't consider him.. a love rival."
Possessiveness was one thing, but reason was another.
Given his little emperor's requirements for facial appearance and the other party's age, Lamazabu could not possibly pose a threat to him.
Zhu Ci was merely teasing, but after a moment of thought, he said, "It wouldn't be appropriate for you to go either. Let the Prince of Ning go. His status and position are both suitable; that way, even if the negotiations fail, there won't be a complete loss of room for reconciliation."
It would indeed be inappropriate for him to negotiate with Lamazabu personally; if Lamazabu felt it was unsuitable and refused directly, it would be difficult for him to either pursue the matter or let it go.