The Foolish Agent

Chapter 65

But now he completely believed Leng Jie's analysis. This Lin Yin'er had returned suddenly after six years, and even needed envoys from another country to escort her back. No wonder they were urging the ministers to hold such a grand banquet; wasn't this clearly an attempt to force the Emperor to publicly acknowledge them as mother and child? Thinking of this, Zi Ying couldn't help but shudder. She hurriedly asked:

"What do we do now? The Emperor has essentially acknowledged them as mother and child!"

Leng Jie shrugged and replied nonchalantly:

"Of course, we should play along! Waiting for that wretched prince to show his face has worn down all my patience. Now that he's finally making a move, we must play this game well with him. We must not alert him like we did three years ago. If he catches the scent again and hides in his shell for three or five years, I might as well just bang my head against a wall."

Seeing how easily Leng Jie spoke, Zi Ying knew she already had a solution. Reassured, she added:

"Regarding the former crown prince, His Majesty said three years ago that he would leave everything to your arrangements. I am still at your beck and call. Just let me know if you need any help. But should we tell His Majesty about this?"

"No, we absolutely mustn't let the Emperor know about this right now. We have no evidence. Let alone whether he'll believe it or accept it, how could the woman he loves so dearly betray him? Even if he believes our speculation, given his personality, it's really difficult for him to put on a tender act for a woman who betrayed him. And once the Crown Prince discovers something amiss, he definitely won't come out again," Leng Jie hurriedly instructed.

He took a sip of water and continued:

"What we need to do now is keep a close eye on Lin Yin'er and her child. Then we'll observe and see how things develop. The fewer people who know about this, the better. Right now, only the two of us know, and unless there's a special need, we shouldn't let a third person know. Therefore, the task of monitoring them will have to be taken turns by the two of us! Does Brother Ying have any objections?"

Ying immediately replied, "Let's do it your way! When I'm out of the palace, you'll keep watch. When I'm in the palace, leave it to me!"

As she spoke, Ying reached out and placed the teacup back on the table, then stood up and said:

"I'm going now. You must be tired from traveling, so get some rest!"

"Wait a moment......"

Leng Jie wanted to tell him not to disturb their family reunion. But before she could speak, Ying had vanished without a trace, just as he had appeared. She had almost forgotten Ying's elusive nature because she hadn't seen him in so long.

She got up, closed the doors and windows, and went behind the screen to the hot water the housekeeper had prepared for her. Although the water was cold, her current body allowed her to bathe in cold water even in winter. She put her hair up, took off her clothes, and soaked in the water.

"Knock knock knock..." Just a short while after washing, Fu Gonggong's urgent knocking and shouting came from outside the door.

"Miss! Miss! You must go see the Emperor!"

"Wait a minute!" Leng Jie called out loudly towards the door.

Then I dressed as quickly as possible, letting my hair down casually. I opened the door and asked:

"What's wrong with the Emperor?"

"His Majesty is vomiting so badly he's about to collapse! Please, you must think of something!" Eunuch Fu said urgently, panting heavily.

She's only been gone a short time! Even if he were chugging wine from a jar, with Xuanyuan's alcohol tolerance, he shouldn't be drunk that quickly, right? Leng Jie asked in astonishment, "The Emperor is drunk? Where is he?"

"His Majesty is not drunk..."

It was because the young prince had kissed him, but Eunuch Fu swallowed the rest of his sentence. He dared not tell Miss Leng about the Emperor's hidden ailment. Now he suddenly regretted his impulsiveness. Why had he come to Miss Leng for help? She was the Emperor's beloved! If he knew the Emperor couldn't... Eunuch Fu dared not think further.

Seeing Eunuch Fu's hesitant expression, Leng Jie suddenly remembered what Xuan Yuan had said about his past with that junior sister. She couldn't help but chuckle. Noticing Eunuch Fu looking at her strangely, she clutched her stomach, forcing back her laughter, and asked in a trembling voice:

"Haha, did His Majesty lose control of his excitement and get intimate with his junior sister?"

From the astonished expression on Eunuch Fu's face, Leng Jie already knew the answer. Then, she couldn't help but burst into laughter again.

"Ha ha......"

To Eunuch Fu's surprise, the Emperor had actually told Miss Leng this secret! Although he dared not comment much on the affairs of his masters, he now knew he hadn't come to the wrong person. Since she already knew, there was no need for him to hide it, so he recounted the whole story in detail.

Leng Jie found it even funnier after hearing this. She had originally thought he wasn't interested in women, perhaps he was just naturally gay, but she never expected he couldn't even touch children. But despite laughing, she still felt very sympathetic and went with Eunuch Fu to see him.

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Jealousy and rivalry?

When Leng Jie saw Xuan Yuan, he was already vomiting so badly his eyes were unfocused and his face was pale. Leng Jie, who had initially thought seeing him would make her laugh even more, couldn't laugh at all. She had never seen anyone vomit like that before. She thought that if his throat were big enough, his stomach would probably come out with it.

Seeing his painful retching, Leng Jie could understand why he had fled the palace because he couldn't stand Lin Yin'er's harassment. Given his condition, what Lin Yin'er had done to him was even more terrifying than sexual harassment! And yet he had still thought of her and felt guilty and remorseful for her.

"Your Majesty..." Eunuch Fu looked at his master with heartache, wanting to tell him that Miss Leng had arrived. However, before he could speak, Leng Jie shook her head to stop him.

Leng Jie pinched her nose with her left hand and quietly walked behind Xuan Yuan. With swift and precise movements, she pierced his pressure point with a silver needle. Xuan Yuan suddenly turned around, staring at Leng Jie in astonishment. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word before his body went limp. Leng Jie quickly caught him on her back. Then, channeling her inner energy, she carried him on her back and flew towards the Dragon Ascension Palace.

This was the second time Leng Jie had taken him back to Longteng Palace. The first time, she struggled to even lift him, but now carrying him on her back was as easy as carrying a child. She tossed the unconscious man directly into his private hot spring. Then she ordered the eunuch who had followed her in to wash away the lingering smell from his body.

It took four eunuchs working together to lift the towering Xuanyuan out of the pool. Leng Jie casually grabbed a large bath towel and wrapped it around him, ignoring the eunuchs' astonished eyes. She swept him up in her arms and leaped out of the bath.

When Leng Jie carried Xuanyuan to his bedchamber, Eunuch Fu arrived, drenched in sweat. When he saw the slender Leng Jie effortlessly carrying their magnificent Emperor out of the bathroom, his eyes nearly popped out of his head, and his jaw nearly dropped! He then began to worry: would his master vomit even more violently the next morning if he knew he'd been carried by a woman? Therefore, he immediately decided that the Emperor absolutely mustn't find out.

Leng Jie brushed past Eunuch Fu, noticing he was still standing there in a daze. She rudely and loudly ordered:

"Eunuch Fu, please help the Emperor put on his pajamas. They should be made of soft, breathable material."

"Yes, this old servant obeys!" Upon hearing the order, the dazed eunuch Fu replied mechanically. Only after replying did he realize what order he was supposed to obey. He stared in astonishment at Leng Jie's cold and slender back. After another second of hesitation, he hurriedly followed.

Leng Jie gently placed Xuanyuan on the dragon bed. Turning around, she saw Eunuch Fu still standing there, looking dazed. She couldn't help but chuckle and ask:

"Eunuch Fu, you must have been scared out of your wits by your master! Don't worry, the divine physician's junior sister is here. He'll be fine."

"This old servant was clearly terrified by you!" thought Eunuch Fu. But he dared not offend this young lady, and quickly nodded, saying:

"That's good! Thank you, Miss!"

How could Eunuch Fu's thoughts escape Leng Jie's sharp eyes? She replied irritably:

"What's so good about it! You're not going to get clothes for the Emperor to wear? You don't expect me, a grown woman, to dress him, do you?" With that, Leng Jie turned and left the Emperor's bedchamber. Having learned her lesson from the experience at the bottom of the cliff, she dared not have any physical contact with him now. Otherwise, if she were to experience that burning desire again, she couldn't guarantee she could still control herself.

Oh! She asked him to dress the Emperor! Upon being reminded, Eunuch Fu immediately rushed to the wardrobe. He opened the door, found a loose-fitting set of clothes, and helped the Emperor change.

"Are you dressed?" Leng Jie asked from outside the palace.

The sudden noise startled Eunuch Fu; he thought Leng Jie had already left. He patted his chest to calm himself and shouted back:

"You're dressed! Miss, you can come in now!"

Leng Jie entered as she heard the voice. She took Xuan Yuan's delicate wrist to check his pulse. She discovered that his blood and qi were disordered to the point of chaotic internal energy flow. Although she couldn't understand the cause of his illness, based on her understanding and application of internal energy cultivation over the past few years, she believed that even if she couldn't cure him at his root, she could at least temporarily alleviate his symptoms.

He took out his silver needles and performed acupuncture on him, first relieving the pressure on his stomach and intestines. Then he performed acupressure on his acupoints, guiding the scattered internal energy into his dantian.

By the time everything was ready, it was almost dawn. To ensure Xuanyuan wouldn't miss the morning court session, Leng Jie released his pressure points and said weakly:

"Alright! You should be able to go to the morning court now. I can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. So be more careful next time. Don't get carried away!"

Xuanyuan opened his eyes to find Leng Jie sitting cross-legged in front of him, drenched in sweat and looking exhausted. Without thinking, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as if afraid she would fly away if he let go. For three years, the scene that had appeared in his dreams every night had finally become a reality. The genuine joy of holding her in his arms left Xuanyuan somewhat at a loss for words.

The eunuch Fu, who had been standing guard to the side, was so frightened by the Emperor's frantic actions that his legs went weak, and he stumbled back a few steps before regaining his balance. He then hurriedly retreated, closing the door behind him.

After a long day of travel and a tiring night, Leng Jie had no energy to argue with him. She let him hold her, since she planned to sleep in his bed after he went to the morning court session.

After holding her quietly for a while, Xuanyuan's excited emotions calmed down a little. He then noticed that Leng Jie wasn't resisting him as fiercely as she had three years ago. The overwhelming joy he had just suppressed surged back like a storm. His arms tightened around her involuntarily. A look of happiness naturally appeared on his face. He couldn't help but softly call her name:

"Xiao Jie! You're finally not disgusted with me anymore! This time, I'm not letting you go no matter what..."

Xuanyuan spoke a long, moving speech, words he would never normally utter. But Leng Jie remained completely unresponsive. He loosened his grip on her back, looked down at the woman in his arms, and his blissful expression froze. It turned out she hadn't resisted because she was exhausted and had fallen asleep in his arms.

Seeing the weary sleeping face on her exquisite features, Xuanyuan felt a pang of pain in his heart. She was so tired. For the past three years, this young girl had been traveling all over the country. Not only had she covered every corner of Jinghe's land, but she had also helped him investigate and prosecute countless corrupt officials. He could easily imagine the hardships and exhaustion she had endured.

Xuanyuan gently moved a soft pillow over and tenderly placed her head on it. He pulled the smooth blankets over her gently, making sure she was comfortable in bed. Then he sat quietly beside her, gazing intently at her.

Suddenly, she seemed to be dreaming about something unpleasant. A worried expression appeared on her tired little face, then her lips pouted, and even her brows furrowed. Xuan Yuan involuntarily frowned as well, and couldn't help but reach out his slender fingers to gently run them over Leng Jie's furrowed brows. He wanted to smooth away that worry and that faint wrinkle for her.

But the moment his fingers touched her smooth, creamy cheek, she immediately pushed them away. Xuanyuan was startled, thinking he had woken her. But upon closer inspection, she showed no sign of waking at all. Xuanyuan shook his head and smiled wryly. This girl was truly formidable. Even asleep, she wouldn't suffer any loss.

Suddenly, she naturally rolled over, as if she had found a favorite sleeping position. A sweet smile instantly appeared on her face. Looking at her sweet smile, a warm current surged in his heart.

His gaze involuntarily fell upon her luscious, soft lips, and the sweet taste he had experienced at the foot of the cliff flashed through his mind. Suddenly, the warm current in his heart swelled into a blazing fire. His body instantly felt unbearably hot, as if it were being burned. Her lips seemed to emanate cool air, a source of relief from his heat. Just as he was about to lose control and kiss her delicate lips, the high-pitched voice of Eunuch Fu came from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, it's time for the morning court session!"

Xuanyuan was stunned. What was he doing? When had he become so lacking in self-control? He jumped out of bed with a whoosh, opened the door, went to the outer room, brushed past the towel that Eunuch Fu handed him, and buried his face directly in the basin. He tried to extinguish the burning desire in his heart with water.

Eunuch Fu noticed the Emperor's embarrassment. However, he was more concerned that the Emperor hadn't had another attack after such intimate contact with Miss Leng. He thought Miss Leng must have truly cured the Emperor's hidden ailment. For this, he was even happier than the Emperor. But when Miss Leng didn't come out for a while, he couldn't help but peek inside.

"Stop looking, Xiao Jie is too tired and has fallen asleep. You don't need to come to court with me today, just stay here and keep watch until I return from court. Don't let anyone disturb her sleep." Xuanyuan instructed Eunuch Fu as he put on his dragon robe.

The Emperor actually let Miss Leng sleep on the Dragon Bed?! Heavens! This is an incredible stroke of good news! Eunuch Fu immediately responded with a beaming smile:

"This old servant obeys! What rank of imperial concubine does His Majesty intend to bestow upon Miss Leng? Which palace will she reside in? This old servant will immediately order the preparations to be made."

"A title?" Xuan Yuanyou, who was tidying his clothes, looked up and repeated.

With a smile, Eunuch Fu replied, "Yes! Since His Majesty has already favored Miss Leng, he should naturally give her a title! And what about Miss Yin'er? Shouldn't she be granted a title as well?"

"Eunuch Fu, what are you thinking! I saw that Xiao Jie had fallen asleep from exhaustion while treating me. I didn't have the heart to wake her, so I let her take a nap here," Xuanyuan explained, half-laughing and half-crying. He paused, then suddenly warned in a deep voice:

"You'd better not mention favors or titles in front of Xiao Jie. Otherwise, even I can't protect you!"

Eunuch Fu shuddered involuntarily. He knew perfectly well that the Emperor had not threatened him. The two martial arts siblings from Qingfeng Residence were indeed not someone he could afford to offend. If his misunderstanding caused damage to Miss Leng's reputation, then this old man would surely be torn to pieces by her! Thinking of this, he shuddered again, before forcing himself to remain calm and replying:

"This old servant understands. This old servant will definitely stay here and not let anyone disturb Miss Leng."

Having received Eunuch Fu's assurance, Xuanyuan glanced wistfully into the inner chamber before heading off to the morning court session.

However, to Eunuch Fu's surprise, the Dragon Palace, which was usually untouched by outsiders, was anything but peaceful today. The Emperor had only recently left the morning court session when Lin Yin'er and her son arrived, ostensibly to inquire whether the Emperor had gone to court. Their real purpose, however, was to check if the Emperor's vomiting had subsided.

Remembering the Emperor's pained expression the previous night, Eunuch Fu's initial affection for the young prince vanished instantly. He calmly informed them that the Emperor had gone to court, assuming they would leave. However, they showed no sign of leaving.

"His Majesty has begun his morning court session. It's not convenient for Miss Yin'er to stay here!" Eunuch Fu politely and gently urged her to leave.

"What's so inconvenient about that, Eunuch Fu? The little prince just wants to see where his father lives. Why would Eunuch Fu have a problem with that?" Lin Yin'er retorted dismissively. Then, without waiting for Eunuch Fu's reply, she spoke as if she were the master, giving orders:

"Eunuch Fu, the little prince hasn't had breakfast yet! Go to the imperial kitchen and bring him some breakfast."

Eunuch Fu wanted to argue with her, but he was afraid that if they got into a fight, they might wake Miss Leng in the inner room. If she found out that Miss Leng was sleeping in the Emperor's bed, then Miss Leng's innocence would be impossible to clear, even if she jumped into the hot spring. The Emperor and Miss Leng would then come after him together to settle scores. Just thinking about it made him shudder. Therefore, he could only suppress his anger. He nodded, walked to the door, and instructed a young eunuch waiting outside the hall to fetch breakfast for the young prince.

Just when Eunuch Fu thought they would finally quiet down, the young prince became restless again, rushing towards the inner room. Eunuch Fu quickly stopped him, gently coaxing him:

"Young prince, you cannot go in there without your father's permission!"

"What will happen if we go inside?" the little guy asked curiously, blinking his big, bright eyes.

"Your father will be very angry if you go in!" Eunuch Fu coaxed earnestly.

The little guy's face darkened, and he pouted, asking, "Is it like yesterday? Then I won't go in tomorrow."

Grandpa Fu had just wiped a cold sweat from his brow when the little guy spotted the two swords hanging on the wall. He immediately became excited and demanded his mother take them down so he could see them. Before Grandpa Fu could stop him, Lin Yin'er had already taken the swords down.

Grandpa Fu thought to himself, "Let them take a look. As long as they don't cause trouble, it should be fine to hang it back up later!"

But his idea seemed a bit wishful thinking. The mother and son were no longer someone who could be appeased simply by watching. They actually drew their swords and began to practice.

"My lords, I beg you to stop practicing! Getting injured is no laughing matter!"

Grandpa Fu almost knelt down and begged them to stop. But the mother and son, engrossed in their play, completely ignored Grandpa Fu's words.

Leng Jie was sound asleep when she was suddenly awakened by the clanging of swords. This sound was incredibly sensitive to her. She sprang to her feet and found herself still in Xuan Yuan's room. She was alone, and the fighting was coming from the outer room. Her first thought was that there were assassins. So, without even putting on her shoes, she flew out.

When she landed in the outer room, disheveled, sleepy-eyed, her clothes in disarray, and barefoot, a hush fell over her. She looked up at the two people who had just been fighting, now staring at her with wide eyes and gaping mouths in astonishment. She nearly collapsed. These two, mother and son, were crazy! Coming into her room so early in the morning to practice swordsmanship—were they just deliberately trying to make things difficult for her? She then gave them a blank glare, turned, and went back into her room to put on her shoes and leave this place of trouble.