The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 1483: 725 Knowing One's Origins

Chapter 1483: 725 Knowing One’s Origins

In the Study Room of the Central Harmony Hall, the monarch was reviewing a mountainous pile of petitions.

The monarch was a tyrant, as well as a mad king, but he was not too slack on the path of diligent governance.

Zhang Dequan was not present; he had gone to the National Master Hall. Attending to the monarch in his place was Zhang Dequan’s godson, also surnamed Zhang, a quirky and lively boy known to everyone in the palace as Little Zhangzi.

Little Zhangzi mimicked his godfather’s usual way of attending to the monarch, fanning when it was time to fan and adding tea when it was time to pour, never speaking out of turn.

But as Little Zhangzi was halfway through fanning, the monarch suddenly spoke in a deep voice, “Leave!”

Little Zhangzi shuddered with fear!

What’s wrong with His Majesty?

Wasn’t his service satisfactory?

The monarch said coldly, “Summon Zhang Dequan!”

“Yes!”

“Wait!”

“Your Majesty.”

“Never mind.”

Which ‘never mind’ was that? The ‘never mind, don’t say it’ or the ‘never mind, you don’t need to go’?

Serving His Majesty is really not something just anyone could do. If his godfather were here, he would surely understand the monarch’s intention, but he didn’t!

The monarch had executed who knows how many annoying little eunuchs; would he too meet an end without a trace to be found?

Aiyo-wey, if only he knew not to curry favor with his godfather and seek this job!

“Your Majesty, Duwei Prefecture’s Wang Xu requests an audience,” reported a little eunuch from outside the door.

“Enter,” said the monarch, then frowned and glanced at Little Zhangzi, “Keep fanning.”

Little Zhangzi, feeling relieved, picked up the fan and continued to fan the monarch.

Wang Xu, the Duwei from Duwei Prefecture, had come to the palace to report the results of his investigation to the monarch.

Wang Xu bowed and said, “Your Majesty, I visited the woods where they encountered the assassins, but found no useful clues. People from Duwei Prefecture were about to arrest the medicine boy for questioning, but they were stopped by individuals from the National Master Hall.”

The monarch huffed coldly, “Taking someone from the National Master Hall, you have quite the nerve.”

Wang Xu lowered his head, “This subordinate admits his mistake.”

Even though Duwei Prefecture was the monarch’s trusted authority, their status at court was still inferior to that of the National Master Hall.

There was nothing wrong with wanting to interrogate the medicine boy; the mistake lay in his attempt to take someone from within the National Master Hall.

Where would that leave the dignity of the National Master Hall?

In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that the former Princess was awaiting surgery, that boy named Xiao Liulang would have been ordered to go to Duwei Prefecture to cooperate with the investigation as well.

“Continue with the investigation,” the monarch instructed.

“Yes!” Wang Xu bowed, “This official takes his leave.”

He had come to test the monarch’s intentions, to see if he would allow wang Xu to take someone from the National Master Hall.

It seemed that the National Master Hall’s status in the monarch’s mind was still immovable.

After Wang Xu left, the monarch continued forcing himself to calm down and review the petitions.

Suddenly, a little one was peeping in from outside the door, seemingly wanting to come in yet hesitating.

As soon as the monarch glanced over, she withdrew her little head back.

The monarch said indifferently, “I’ve already seen you, come in.”

“Alrighty.” The Little Princess crawled over the high doorstep and bounced in.

She didn’t come around the desk to cuddle up to the monarch as usual. Instead, she stood politely (with feigned heart) across the desk at a distance safe enough that the monarch definitely couldn’t reach her little bottom.

“Don’t you have classes today?” the monarch asked.

“School is already out,” the Little Princess replied.

“What do you want?” the monarch inquired.

“I…” the Little Princess counted her little fingers, her eyes whirling around, “I want to go out of the palace for a walk.”

The Little Princess wasn’t aware of Shangguan Yun’s incident; no one would discuss such matters with a child, nor would anyone dare gossip in her presence.

Therefore, she was unaware of the monarch’s preoccupation.

The monarch’s expression was as grim as ever, but even when he wasn’t preoccupied, it wasn’t this grim; the Little Princess was used to it.

The monarch asked, “Where do you want to go?”

The Little Princess replied, “To the National Master Hall.”

The monarch inquired, “What for at the National Master Hall?”

The Little Princess said guiltily, “Just, to play for a bit.”

She had lost the monarch’s Uncle’s Myna bird, and having heard that the National Master can do anything, she wanted to ask him to conjure up an identical Myna bird, so she wouldn’t have to keep lying about lending it to a classmate.

The Little Princess whined sweetly, “Uncle Emperor, take me there, will you?”

The monarch picked up a petition, “I am busy.”

Quick-wittedly, the Little Princess suggested, “Let Eunuch Zhang take me.”

Little Zhangzi was taken aback.

The monarch stated, “Zhang Dequan is not here.”

The Little Princess opened her mouth.

The monarch sealed her escape route within a second, “No one else will do.”

The Little Princess shut her little mouth.

The monarch thought the little tyke would resort to her invincible crying attack, but surprisingly, she did not.

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