Chapter 116: The Abandoned Little Emperor (20)
The cold night wind slipped in through the parted curtains. It was only early autumn, not the biting wind of winter. The little emperor didn’t feel the chill, but the slight breeze made the person on the bed cough.
The candles in Su Mingxiu’s room were still burning. With her illness, her senses had become sharper, and she disliked having people nearby.
So, every night, as darkness fell, someone would light the candles, which burned until almost dawn. The next day, they would be replaced.
Now, her shadow stretched long in the candlelight. She squinted, focusing on the little emperor, then asked slowly: “Where does Your Majesty intend to take this minister?”
Xiao Miyun understood the extent of Su Mingxiu’s attention. Such meticulous care couldn’t be unintentional.
She didn’t believe Su Mingxiu had no feelings for her. Su Mingxiu used to be so affectionate. But as she grew older, Su Mingxiu seemed to have reservations, rarely touching her.
Su Mingxiu clearly had feelings, but she refused to admit it.
“As long as you’re willing,” Xiao Miyun extended her hand, her voice sincere, “wherever Zhen is, will be your home.”
She wouldn’t let Su Mingxiu die in this forgotten place. The hero of the Great Zhou shouldn’t be buried in obscurity. Even if Su Mingxiu dies before me, she thought, she should die where I can see her. I want to be with her in life and in death.
But Su Mingxiu didn’t react as expected. She only asked calmly: “What if I’m unwilling?”
“Uh…” The expected angry outburst didn’t happen. Su Mingxiu was surprised. Xiao Miyun had a strong sense of pride, she shouldn’t tolerate repeated rejection.
But she had underestimated Xiao Miyun’s feelings.
“You won’t be unwilling,” Xiao Miyun said, standing firm. “You’re just being stubborn.”
“I never knew Your Majesty was so narcissistic.”
“You won’t admit you like Zhen, will you?”
“No.”
Silence. Only the crackling of the candle flames.
Xiao Miyun remembered their past interactions. Back then, she had been the quiet one. And the Regent had teased her, enjoying her forced tolerance.
Now, she was the one initiating conversations, while Su Mingxiu often ignored her, her responses curt and dismissive.
With no reason to stay, she pretended her dignity wasn’t wounded and turned to leave. “Then Zhen will ask again tomorrow.”
But as she lifted the curtain, distracted, she tripped over the threshold. Having dismissed the servants, no one was there to catch her. She stumbled, about to fall—
A bright purple ribbon shot out, wrapping around her waist and pulling her back. The force was so strong that she was pulled from the doorway to the bedside.
Su Mingxiu clicked her tongue, dissatisfied with her control over her strength.
The startled emperor grabbed the edge of the bed, then looked at Su Mingxiu. “Why are you so nervous?”
The guards outside hadn’t reacted. If Su Mingxiu hadn’t been paying attention, she wouldn’t have been able to save her.
“Am I?” Su Mingxiu replied slowly, leaning closer. Xiao Miyun could smell the faint, sweet medicinal fragrance, a scent that evoked sadness.
Su Mingxiu paused, then said: “Not worried about Your Majesty, but rather concerned about the country. I wouldn’t want to see its peace disrupted.”
So, she was worried about the country’s stability, not her?
Xiao Miyun was almost furious. She grabbed Su Mingxiu’s quilt and burrowed under the covers.
“Hmm?” Before Su Mingxiu could react, the little emperor, now in her bed, mimicked her sarcastic tone. “The Right Chancellor’s words are wise. Zhen feels safest by your side. I shall stay here tonight, under your protection.”
Su Mingxiu was speechless.
Then, she chuckled, her voice gentle, tinged with the scent of medicine. “This minister has a habit of killing people in my sleep.”
The person in her bed reached out, her hand caressing Su Mingxiu’s neck, pulling her down. Their foreheads touched.
At this close proximity, Su Mingxiu could see the emotions in Xiao Miyun’s eyes. “To die in your bed is Zhen’s greatest wish.”
Su Mingxiu was silent, then smiled, her pale face illuminated by this alluring expression, like a flower blooming in darkness.
Xiao Miyun, lost in her smile, heard her ask softly: “Who taught you to say such things?”
A shiver ran down Xiao Miyun’s spine. She sensed Su Mingxiu’s killing intent again, like moonlight on a blade.
She sobered up.
The little emperor smiled, meeting Su Mingxiu’s gaze. “This has nothing to do with romance, why would I need someone to teach me?”
Su Mingxiu’s gaze traced Xiao Miyun’s features. Her hand, which had been on Xiao Miyun’s neck, now caressed her cheek, then lingered at the corner of her eye, touching the small tear mole.
The world only knew the Regent as a ruthless killer, but few knew of her beauty. The little emperor felt she had been blinded by power.
A bold thought: to keep Su Mingxiu hidden away, a secret treasure only she could admire.
“Slap.”
Su Mingxiu pushed her hand away. She had the strength to throw Xiao Miyun out, but she only turned her back and lay down.
Xiao Miyun looked at her back, her hair, the exposed skin of her nape, and asked again:
“Do you really not like Zhen?”
“Uh…” Not receiving an answer, she changed tactics. “Then forget it, Zhen will return to the capital tomorrow, open the harem, and summon countless consorts. They will definitely—”
Her attempt to provoke Su Mingxiu only made it harder for Su Mingxiu to sleep. And those images actually appeared in her mind.
She felt irritated, then a pain in her chest, an itch in her throat, and she coughed. Xiao Miyun fell silent, watching her cautiously, patting her back.
Su Mingxiu asked calmly if she was going to let her sleep.
Xiao Miyun grumbled, “You’re so hard to win over.”
But she quieted down, lying beside Su Mingxiu, listening to her breathing, staying awake, counting the hours.
Before Su Mingxiu woke up, she quietly got out of bed and went to where the medicine was being prepared.
With the emperor’s prolonged absence, the capital grew restless.
Xiao Miyun couldn’t persuade Su Mingxiu to return with her. Winter was approaching, the end of the year, with official evaluations, imperial examinations, and countless matters requiring her attention.
The plague was under control, and many patients had recovered. Fewer people were being sent to the isolation zone, and the physicians and soldiers were no longer as busy.
Everything was slowly getting better.
Except Su Mingxiu, who refused to leave. She allowed the little emperor to sleep in her room every night, to share her bed, even drinking the burnt medicine without complaint.
Until—
One morning, she woke up to the sound of a moving carriage.
Opening her eyes, she saw Xiao Miyun before her. The servants had been dismissed, and they were alone in the warm carriage.
Su Mingxiu’s head was slightly dizzy. She quickly assessed the situation and looked at Xiao Miyun intently.
The little emperor, who had been pretending to read, suddenly felt a surge of confidence under her gaze. “The Prince of Zhenbei has rendered meritorious service to the country, Zhen won’t allow you to stay in this place.”
Su Mingxiu ignored her, circulating her internal energy, and tried to leave the carriage. But as she moved her wrist, she heard a faint jingling sound.
“Hmm?” She looked down and saw a thin thread tied around her wrist, a small golden bell attached to it.
The little emperor, following her gaze, quickly looked away and continued reading. “Zhen will untie it when we return to the capital, don’t even think about running away.”
Su Mingxiu stared at the thread, wondering what had made the little emperor do this.
She unconsciously touched her neck.
The bell jingled.
Empty.
Nothing around her neck.
She lowered her hand, about to speak, when the little emperor, afraid of what she might say, threw down her book and lunged forward. Just as the carriage hit a bump, she missed Su Mingxiu’s lips, then, in a moment of boldness, pressed her own lips against Su Mingxiu’s.
The thin mask, which the imperial physicians had insisted she wear, offered little protection against the warmth of Xiao Miyun’s lips. The little emperor instinctively moved her head, gently rubbing against Su Mingxiu’s lips.
Su Mingxiu pushed her away.
The force was so strong that Xiao Miyun’s head hit the side of the carriage. The little emperor’s eyes immediately reddened. Clutching the back of her head, she asked, her eyes filled with tears: “Can you… not die in a place where Zhen can’t see you?”
“Please… let Zhen stay with you for your remaining time, okay?”
Su Mingxiu was silent for a moment, then, meeting the little emperor’s desperate gaze, she asked softly: “Does it hurt?”
It was a simple question—
But tears streamed down Xiao Miyun’s face, soaking the mask. She didn’t know where all this grievance came from, but it all found an outlet in this moment, like a bursting dam.
“Yes,” she cried, tears flowing freely. “It hurts so much.”
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