"Then come with me." With that, Su Yan led him away.
After arriving at the room, Su Yan said, "Later, I will have someone bring in a small bed. It's perfect, I also need to prepare a small bed for the Prince."
"What do you need a small bed for? We're two grown men, are you afraid I'll sleep with you?" Xie Chen raised an eyebrow at him, a hint of a smile on his face, completely unlike the expressionless and unsmiling person he had been in front of Feng Muting just now.
"Look at you, look at you! You're one way in front of people and another way behind their backs. I have to be careful around you. Also, put your sword away! Leave it by the door when you come into the room, don't bring it to the bedside!"
Xie Chen shook his head: "That won't do. I'm an assassin; I never leave my sword behind."
Su Yan was speechless for a moment.
Xie Chen looked at him and laughed, "Su Yan, you hold a grudge too much. That time, my sword and I didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident. Who told you to come looking for me while I was practicing my sword?"
"Hmph, don't explain. I think you did it on purpose. You're just jealous that the prince chose me to be the steward of the palace!" Su Yan couldn't help but squeeze his legs together when he thought of that accident.
Although a long time has passed, he still feels a dull ache in his back every time he thinks about it.
Xie Chen replied as if he had heard a joke: "I'm jealous of you? Don't you know that the reason the Prince chose you to be the steward of the Prince's mansion was because your martial arts skills were the worst among us. The Prince felt that you didn't have the talent to be an assassin, so he called you to the Prince's mansion?"
Chapter 310 Despicable
Su Yan was so angry that he couldn't speak.
Xie Chen took his sword and walked to the bedside, then lay down: "It seems being a steward isn't so bad, at least this bed is more comfortable than mine."
Su Yan glared at him: "You sleep inside, I'll sleep outside!"
"No, I have to sleep outside."
"I'm the housekeeper, you have to listen to me!" Su Yan said with dissatisfaction. He didn't want to sleep inside. If that hateful Xie Chen slept outside, it would give him a sense of oppression from which he had nowhere to escape.
Xie Chen turned to look at him and laughed, "If you can beat me, I'll let you sleep outside, how about it?"
"Not good at all!" Su Yan was furious. Yesterday, Feng Muting asked him to call Xie Chen over, and he was extremely unwilling because that guy always bullied him because he was better at martial arts than him.
"Then you should just sleep inside quietly," Xie Chen said.
"..." Su Yan was furious. "I'm going to talk to the Prince!"
"You're bothering the Prince over something as trivial as sleeping inside or outside? Are you sure he won't give you a beating?"
"..." Su Yan was speechless.
Xie Chen looked at the sulking Su Yan with a calm demeanor, without saying much, just smiling at him.
Finally, Su Yan gave up and compromised: "I can sleep inside, but let me make this clear beforehand, I'm not a good sleeper. If I kick you out of bed in the middle of the night, don't blame me."
Xie Chen shook his head: "It's alright. My sword isn't just for show either. As an assassin, I'm sensitive enough that even if I'm asleep, I'll draw my sword quickly if something comes near. So, I'm the one who should be saying the unpleasant thing. You should be careful."
"..." Su Yan realized that his threat was nothing compared to Xie Chen's.
Damn it, why isn't his martial arts as good as Xie Chen's?!
Otherwise, why would Xie Chen be showing off like this?
Meanwhile, Feng Muting led Su Fuliu out in a carriage.
This time they arrived before the Emperor and Aunt Xu.
So Su Fuliu thought he should go to the kitchen to cook, so that Aunt Xu wouldn't have to work so hard again.
When Feng Muting offered to help, Su Fuliu was so frightened that she waved her hands repeatedly. But Feng Muting didn't want Su Fuliu to work too hard, so he insisted on helping out.
Having no other choice, Su Fuliu had to strictly forbid him from stepping into the kitchen.
In the end, Feng Muting could only stand at the kitchen door with a wronged expression, watching Su Fuliu busy in the kitchen.
"Ah Liu, you've worked too hard. Take a break. Come here and let me wipe your sweat!" Feng Muting called out from the doorway.
"No need, Your Highness, you should go and see if the Emperor and Aunt Xu have arrived yet," Su Fuliu replied while busy with her work.
"What's so interesting about this? They're here, so they're here. I have to stay here with A-Liu." Feng Muting couldn't get enough of the sights and had no desire to leave.
Just then, the Emperor alighted from his carriage and saw Xu Jiaolong riding towards him. Upon reaching the door, she pulled on the reins and leaped off the horse with a dashing and heroic air.
"Your Majesty," Xu Jiaolong said with a smile, cupping her hands in greeting.
The Emperor smiled and said, "You haven't changed much over the years. It's a pity that such an outstanding woman like you hasn't married."
Xu Jiaolong shook her head: "There's nothing to regret. Who says a woman has to get married? I haven't met the right person, so I don't want to settle. Yu'er is lucky; she met the Emperor."
The Emperor sighed softly, "I don't know whether Yu'er was lucky or unlucky to meet me. I... did not give her the happiness of a lifetime with only one person."
Xu Jiaolong replied, "Emperors have their own helplessness. Although you didn't give Sister Yu the happiness of a lifetime with only one person, you gave her all your love. Isn't that a unique kind of happiness?"
Chapter 311 No comparison, no harm
The Emperor gave a wry smile and went inside with Xu Jiaolong.
After entering, they didn't see Feng Muting and Su Fuliu, so they assumed they must have gone to the kitchen.
So the two of them went to the kitchen together again.
When the emperor arrived at the kitchen, he saw a pinkish figure leaning against the kitchen doorway.
He frowned: "What is this thing?"
Xu Jiaolong couldn't help but smile. Although the pink color was a bit eye-catching, they could still tell whose it was from behind.
Hearing footsteps, Feng Muting, who was standing at the door, turned around and said, "Father, Aunt Xu."
The emperor looked at him with disgust: "What are you wearing?"
Xu Jiaolong said, "It looks quite nice. It's the first time I've seen Shi'er dressed so gently."
The Emperor shook his head: "You always side with him."
"No, it does look quite nice on Shi'er. After seeing her in so many dark clothes, it's quite cute to see her in such a pink and tender color occasionally," Xu Jiaolong said with a smile.
The Emperor still looked disgusted: "Aren't you afraid of biting your tongue when you say that? How can such a tall and big man be considered cute?"
Feng Muting pouted: "Father, am I your own son? Although this is the first time I've worn this color, you don't have to be so sarcastic."
"Why is a grown man wearing pink..." Before the emperor could finish speaking, he saw Su Fuliu walk out, and his eyes lit up.
"Greetings, Your Majesty." Su Fuliu hurriedly bowed, then looked at Xu Jiaolong and called out, "Aunt Xu."
He had just overheard the Emperor complaining about Feng Muting wearing pink, so he quickly explained for Feng Muting: "Your Majesty, please don't blame the Prince. I wanted to wear pink today, so the Prince... just wore pink too. If Your Majesty doesn't like it, I'll take it off now."
"No, no, you're wearing it. I wasn't saying anything to you. This dress looks exceptionally good on you." The Emperor couldn't help but look Su Fuliu up and down. It was the first time he had seen a man wear pink so elegantly and gracefully. This was what you called gentle and lovely.
And look at his son, does he even resemble a gentle and cute person?
Xu Jiaolong couldn't help but take a second look: "Xiao Su's outfit is indeed very beautiful."
Seeing the two people staring intently at Su Fuliu, Feng Muting coughed lightly and said, "I'm not dressed that badly, am I?"
The emperor gave him a disdainful look: "Do you know what it means to feel no harm without comparison?"
Xu Jiaolong laughed: "Alright, Your Majesty, don't say that. Shi'er is dressed very well too, but she's just a little bit less beautiful than Xiao Su. Xiao Su's outfit is particularly charming."
Su Fuliu was embarrassed by their praise: "Your Majesty and Aunt Xu are too kind. Please go and sit in the front hall. I'll go cook."
After saying that, he tugged at Feng Muting's sleeve, signaling Feng Muting to go and keep the Emperor and Xu Jiaolong company.
Feng Muting glanced at Su Fuliu with a sullen expression. He was no longer willing to accompany her, fearing that his father would once again find fault with him from head to toe.
"Your Highness, hurry up!" Su Fuliu said again.
"Fine." Feng Muting reluctantly left with them.
The three of them sat there, and the Emperor couldn't even look at Feng Muting. Although Feng Muting was dressed well, after seeing what Su Fuliu was wearing, he was particularly disgusted with Feng Muting's attire.
Xu Jiaolong spoke first: "Has Shi'er already appeased Xiao Su?"
"Mm." Feng Muting nodded.
"Xiao Su is gentle by nature, so don't take advantage of her old age to bully her. Now that you've won her over, you should treat her well, understand?" Xu Jiaolong instructed.
Chapter 312 Don't Miss It Again
Feng Muting nodded: "Mm."
The emperor, standing to the side, said, “You don’t need to worry. This brat had already planned it all out. He refused to agree to my request before, but now, in order to better protect this little Su, he has begun to help me with the affairs of the court. Although he helped a little before, he was never this diligent.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Jiaolong couldn't help but laugh and said, "Isn't this great? You two are helping each other out."
The Emperor snorted: "You have no idea what nonsense this brat has been spouting. I can't count on him to have children, but he's got the nerve to rely on me, asking me to have another son for him to raise. He'll help raise him to adulthood. Do you think this is something a biological son would say?"
“Father, what I said is not wrong. You are in your prime, and it would not be a problem for you to have seven or eight more children,” Feng Muting replied.
The Emperor glared at him: "If I wanted to, you would already have a bunch of younger brothers and sisters. Why would I need you here trying to persuade me to give you another brother?"
Back then, he was under pressure from the Empress Dowager, and he was also thinking that if he didn't let the women in the palace have a few children, the Empress Dowager would probably not let Qin Yu off the hook. So, he had no choice but to give in.
That's how Feng Murei and Feng Muxiu came to be; as for Feng Muling, that was an accident.
With these children, the Empress Dowager stopped making things difficult for him and Qin Yu.
Feng Muting shook his head: "Father just doesn't want to have children with someone he doesn't like. If Father has someone he likes, he will naturally be willing to have children with her."
"Your mother has been gone for so many years..." The Emperor sighed softly.
“Precisely because Mother Consort has been gone for many years, Father Emperor should also let go and not miss the person who has waited for you for so many years. Your son thinks that Mother Consort’s spirit in heaven would also hope that Father Emperor can start anew,” Feng Muting said sincerely.
After he finished speaking, he glanced at Xu Jiaolong.
Xu Jiaolong was taken aback, then looked away, picked up her teacup and drank the tea to cover up her unease.
Upon hearing this, the emperor fell silent, picked up his teacup, and began to drink.
The atmosphere suddenly became very subtle.
When Su Fuliu walked over carrying the food box, she could clearly sense that something was off.
He wondered if they were unhappy because he cooked too slowly and they had been waiting too long.
Upon seeing him arrive, Feng Muting quickly went to greet him, saying, "This king has come."
As he spoke, he took the food box from Su Fuliu's hand.
He placed the food box on the table and took out the dishes inside, placing them on the table as well: "Father, Aunt Xu, A-Liu hasn't been feeling well lately and can't eat meat, so he only made these light vegetarian dishes."