XH 161

 

It was Doctor Bai and Long Yuen that leave the banquet first, taking Xiao Hua with them. After they had left, a servant walked to Eunuch Xiang with a letter in hand. Upon hearing who was the person that gave the letter, the Emperor's head eunuch received the letter and quickly passed it to his master.

 

"Your Majesty," Eunuch Xiang whispered lowly. "Doctor Bai had sent a letter to Your Majesty."

 

"Hand over." The Emperor took the letter without hesitation and unfolded it. His eyes quickly scanned the content, before rereading it again. His face did not betray his true thoughts, composed from the beginning till the end.

 

Using his inner energy, he burned the letter in his hands, already memorized the content. It would not be good if someone got their hands on this letter, even if the content was not a sensitive matter. Besides, he does not know why Doctor Bai wishes for a private meeting with him and his Empress tomorrow.

 

"Tell him We will wait for him tomorrow morning," The Emperor informed Eunuch Xiang, who nodded and head to do as he was told.

 

Their interaction was seen by most guests, but as the sight of the Emperor receiving letters and burned it later had occurred before, so they were not panicking yet. Until the Emperor continued on drinking and enjoying the feast did the guests feel relieved, believing that the letter was not as important as they assumed if the Emperor still have the mood for celebration.

 

The Second Prince and Liu Chu Chu choose to excuse themselves to meet with Concubine He to discuss their wedding plans.

 

The mood to have fun gone, Long Lian excused herself as well, not wanting to socialize with other ladies. There was no fun in pretending to be happy or putting herself under their judging gaze. She prefers hanging out with the honest Xiao Hua.

 

Thinking about Xiao Hua reminded her about the other girl's dishonesty, making her sad and angry. How could Xiao Hua hide such a huge secret from her and allowed her to make a fool of herself by offering her good things when Xiao Hua would most probably have even better things?

 

However, when she returned to her courtyard, a servant informed her that she has guests.

 

"Who is it?"

 

"It's Elder Sister Xiao Hua, Your Highness." The news of Xiao Hua being Doctor Bai's daughter was not yet spread, so the servant still used the servant title when she called Xiao Hua.

 

Although Long Lian's rational mind was still angry at Xiao Hua's deception, her heart could not stop feeling happy that she visited her.

That means she's important to Xiao Hua, right?

 

Long Lian walked at a fast pace towards the pavilion where she usually received her guests, wanting to know how Xiao Hua will explain herself and to appease her. However, the sight that was captured by her eyes let her know that being appeased by Xiao Hua will have to be pushed to later.

 

The King of Munzhu, Tian Liang, had his eyes lowered to stare at the table, silently drinking his tea as he tolerates Xiao Hua's glare, treating it as it was nothing. Behind Xiao Hua stood Duan XiYing, supporting her young miss by giving the usually arrogant King a piercing gaze with a smile that was not friendly at all.

 

It was unknown why would the usually short-tempered King would put up with their rude glares but Long Lian was thankful that he did! She knew his temper and strength as she had seen him unleashing them onto unfortunate servants that had angered him by making mistakes.

 

"What is going on here?" Long Lian questioned, breaking the one-sided staring contest and stepped closer to them.

 

"Long Lian!" Xiao Hua stopped glaring and stood up to face Long Lian with a worried gaze.

 

Upon her arrival, Tian Liang no longer pretended to be interested in his tea or the table, his eyes raised up to focus solely on Long Lian's approaching figure. "Lian." He called her like how a sweet, henpecked husband does towards his beloved wife, earning a freaked-out stare from Xiao Hua.

 

"Why are you here?" Long Lian demanded towards Xiao Hua, ignoring Tian Liang's arrival for now. After all, this king had ignored her protest and sticks around her for weeks now.

 

"I'm here to explain the relationship between Doctor Bai and me." Xiao Hua had guessed that Long Lian must be angry with her about Doctor Bai being her father and keeping it a secret from her. After they had left, it was then she realized Doctor Bai and the 19th Emperor made no attempt to explain that she was not Doctor Bai's biological daughter! That was why she quickly came over with the intention to explain everything and save their friendship.

 

"This princess is not stupid and knows what you think of me. Stupid and untrustworthy of secrets, isn't it?" Long Lian mocked herself, looking at if she was indifferent to it, but her true feelings could not be hidden from her voice.

 

"No! That's not it!" Xiao Hua exclaimed loudly and stepped closer to Long Lian. "Please listen to me-"

 

"Listen to your excuse? This princess is not that easy to hoodwink!"

 

"Ah Lian-"

 

"Leave! I have a guest and have no time to entertain silly excuse you came up with!"

 

"Your guest... him?" Xiao Hua's expression was similar to a kitten being kicked. "He's more important than me?"

 

Long Lian's heart suffered tiny kitten scratches from Xiao Hua's teary eyes.

 

"Princess, it was only yesterday that Xiao Hua was adopted by Doctor Bai," Duan XiYing explained, straight to the point. As her little miss failed to achieve her desire, it was up to the servant to help her young miss to clear the misunderstanding. "The princess is Xiao Hua's best friend and dear sister. This hairpin in her hair is the best proof of her feelings."

 

Long Lian who originally felt as she was wronged, was taken aback. Her heart bloomed in happiness when she finally realized the hairpin Xiao Hua had worn was actually the one she gave her on the birthday. However, she decided to focus on the more important note. "Adopted? Yesterday?"

 

Xiao Hua quickly nodded like chicken pecking rice. She was happy that Long Lian believed her and no longer angry with her. 

 

"So Long Zhu's plan succeeds. Congratulations, Miss Bai." Tian Liang smiled lazily. It was unsure if he was genuinely happy for her or he was mocking her.

 

Xiao Hua shot Tian Liang a fierce glare. "I'm still suspicious of you!"

 

Tian Liang laughed loudly and raised his cup of tea to give her a salute. "That bastard Heng was right, you are a chili!"

 

Long Lian stared at Xiao Hua and Tian Liang back and forth, lost in what had happened between them.

 

"It's only because the Third Prince trusted you that I let you court Ah Lian! If you hurt her, I will beat you up!" Xiao Hua threatened fiercely.

 

Xiao Hua did not know much about the King of Munzhu in the novel, but this guy in front of her does not seem as bad as the novel described. There was no hostility or darkness when he looked at Long Lian. In fact, Xiao Hua nearly had goosebump at how sweet and puppy-like when he called out Long Lian earlier.

 

Heise had not elaborated on what happened between the novel King of Munzhu and Long Lian, straight off having Long Lian's first appearance to be in Guilin Kingdom after being rescued from the sick pervert King of Munzhu's clutches.

 

He was used to be a commoner and now as the new King of Munzhu country, ending the royal bloodline but leaving one prince from the previous royalty alive. He was described as a terrifying bloodlust craving beast-man in the battlefield and a royalty hater but if he truly hates royalty, Xiao Hua doubted he would even want to spend even a minute around the Third Prince and Long Lian outside of working hours.

 

To be honest, Xiao Hua believed that if the King of Munzhu treated Long Lian badly, the Third Prince was powerful enough to smack the king around.

 

"But of course, there will be a condition you need to fulfill! Do you accept it?" Xiao Hua challenged Tian Liang condescendingly.

 

Tian Liang's eyes flashed in amusement. "Sure, baby chili." He does not know why he would entertain this child, but he knows for certain that making this baby chili angry will summon a certain protective dragon to breathe poison at him!

 

"XiYing, do you have a bag of tea leaves?"

 

"Yes. XiYing will bring teapot as well~"

 

"No need. Erm... Long Lian, can I have some hot water and a big empty bucket?" Xiao Hua requested shyly.

 

"Of course," Long Lian immediately consented, her mood already brighten like the beautiful sky after the rain. She even approached to sit beside Xiao Hua.

 

"Thank you! Erm, actually, just bring a bucket full of hot water will do."

 

"Tang Mei."

 

"Yes, Princess!" Tang Mei hurried to get what Xiao Hua needed.

 

"Oh? Baby chili, you want me to brew tea for you?" Tian Liang asked, his submissive attitude from earlier completely vanished. He dislikes seeing his girl ignoring him for another person, even if that baby chili poses no threat to him.

 

"To have a King brew a tea for me, this servant can't accept it. Moreover, this servant would feel better to drink my own brew."

 

"Xiao Hua, you are no longer a servant anymore," Long Lian chastised. "You are now Great Doctor Bai's daughter and your status is more or equal to the King of Munzhu."

 

Xiao Hua: '...' Ah Lian did not notice my sarcasm? I laid it pretty thick though...?

 

"Being Doctor Bais' daughter is equal to a King's status is pretty hard to believe," Xiao Hua said.

 

Long Lian shook her head. "You have no idea how revered everyone in Four Kingdoms is towards Doctor Bai, don't you? Even Father Emperor had to give Doctor Bai some respect. That's how influential and valuable Doctor Bai is."

 

Xiao Hua: Seems like the thigh I managed to cling onto is pretty expensive!

 

Tang Mei returned with two wooden buckets that were normally used to fill water for a bath. One was empty and another was filled with hot water. She also brought along a ladle despite Xiao Hua had not requested for it.

 

"Xiao Hua, what are you going to do with them?" Long Lian questioned curiously.

 

Xiao Hua stood up and takes the bag filled with tea leaves from Duan XiYing. "Brew tea."

 

She gleefully tossed more than a handful of tea leaves into the bucket filled with water and used the ladle to stir it around until the water slowly turned into light brown color. Finished, she turned to Tian Liang and pointed the ladle at the bucket.

 

"Drink it all is my condition. Not even a single drop is allowed to escape!"

 

The King of Munzhu will be sticking around Long Lian for a long period, so it would certainly give her a peace of mind if the heroine's cheat to have him auto fall in love with her was neutralized.

 

Tian Liang stared at the bucket in horror. "That's disgusting! That's not the way to brew tea!" Her method was the same as throwing tea leaves into the cup before pouring hot water on it and declared it ready to be served! That was an idiot way of brewing!

 

Xiao Hua coughed, a little embarrassed as she herself would be reluctant to drink it, but at that time she only thinks of a way to brew a large volume of tea for him to drink without considering little problems.

 

However, she had already brewed the tea and her embarrassment refused to let her admit her fault in front of this gangster-like man. She used the ladle to scoop some tea and pushed it towards Tian Liang. "Drink it all or give up on Long Lian."

 

"Who are you to decide things for Long Lian?" Tian Liang's eyes flashed with annoyance.

 

"I am her best friend! She also likes me more than you!" Xiao Hua shamelessly boasted yet does not dare to look at Long Lian. "I'm also the Third Prince's favorite. I can easily ask him to stop you from meeting Long Lian!"

 

"You-"

 

Xiao Hua, the death seeker, used that opportunity to shove the ladle right into Tian Liang's open mouth, nearly choking him in the process.

 

Long Lian: '...' Xiao Hua learned quite a bit of bad habit from the Third brother...

 

(Author's Note: Refer to Volume 1 where the Third prince shoving tea into Xiao Hua's mouth ahahaha. )