Chapter 9 – Tyrant VS National Teacher (9)
Ling Fei, upon hearing the words, showed a surprised expression on her face, only then noticing the two eunuchs following behind Mo Yi.
Even if she were ignorant, she recognized the elderly people by the Empress Dowager’s side.
Thinking about when this young man had earned the Empress Dowager’s favor, she couldn’t help but wonder.
Last night, Ling Fei had almost spent the entire night having nightmares. In the dream, the children and concubines she had poisoned to death appeared, seeking revenge from her tortured soul.
After being frightened awake in the middle of the night, Ling Fei immediately called several palace maids to guard her room. Despite that, she still felt uneasy and couldn’t sleep due to the ominous presence around her.
It seemed that no matter how many people were in the room, as soon as she closed her eyes, these evil spirits would find her.
This made her restless the whole night, and waking up in the morning, she was irritable and agitated.
So, she vented her frustration on the palace maids in her palace and, feeling unsatisfied, planned to wait for Mo Yi to return and take it out on him.
Unexpectedly, she waited and waited but Mo Yi did not return.
She eventually had to ask the palace maids, who tremblingly informed her that he had left upon receiving an order from the Empress Dowager.
Frustrated, Ling Fei left her chambers, and to her surprise, encountered this young man on the way.
Without much thought due to her agitation from the nightmares, Ling Fei went forward to scold him directly.
However, the situation developed beyond her expectations.
According to the eunuch, the Empress Dowager intended to personally raise Mo Yi.
Although Mo Yi was just a tool for Ling Fei to vent her frustrations, he was still her child. Ling Fei felt resentful that she was not consulted before he was taken away.
She immediately harbored resentment towards the Empress Dowager, feeling that she was not being valued.
Regardless of her inner thoughts, she dared not show any dissatisfaction outwardly, and could only nod politely to the two elderly eunuchs to indicate her awareness.
Later, she glared fiercely at Mo Yi before leaving in disappointment.
The two eunuchs, who had been by the Empress Dowager’s side for many years, were astute individuals.
Although they had heard about the difficult situation of the Third Prince with Ling Fei before, they did not expect his biological mother to genuinely resent her own son.
No wonder, if an ordinary child heard about leaving their mother, they would certainly feel reluctant.
But the Third Prince readily agreed today, even expressing gratitude towards the Empress Dowager.
They had no idea how much mistreatment he had suffered under Ling Fei.
Thinking about this, the two eunuchs couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for the child.
Because the recent incident happened not far from the training ground, one of the eunuchs deliberately raised his voice, quickly spreading the news to nearby palace attendants.
The instructors in the training ground also got wind of the fact that Mo Yi was under the Empress Dowager’s protection today. Naturally, in today’s teaching, they paid even more attention to Mo Yi.
Mo Yi could feel the change in attitude from his teachers, but he did not feel any satisfaction from it because he knew the real reason behind their behavior.
If it weren’t for the Empress Dowager’s protection, these people wouldn’t treat him this way.
Even the woman who usually disregarded him dared not easily manipulate him now.
These people were just afraid of the Empress Dowager.
For the first time, the little child felt the power of authority, which planted a seed deep in his heart.
On the training ground, Mo Yi became even more focused on his studies. He knew that he must be more careful and cautious than before, not leaving an impression of arrogance based on favoritism.
By the time the training ground exercises were finished, it was already evening. The Empress Dowager’s two eunuchs, who had been waiting on the side, approached as Mo Yi finished his martial arts practice, helping him wipe away sweat and change clothes.
Back in the Empress Dowager’s chambers, Mo Yi, as usual, paid his respects and inquired about his studies today. After a brief inquiry, the Empress Dowager allowed him to rest.
Having practiced on the training ground for the whole afternoon, the child was covered in sweat. Wanting to take a hot bath before dinner to freshen up, he instructed the palace attendants to bring in hot water.
During the bath, as he never liked to be attended to while bathing, he dismissed the attendants after everything was ready.
With the door closed, the child walked behind the folding screen, undressed, and immersed himself in the bath.
However, as soon as he closed his eyes and relaxed with a sigh, he heard laughter not far away.
His nerves instantly tensed, and he abruptly opened his eyes, standing up.
Just as he was about to reach for the clothes on the rack, a figure flashed in front of him.
The person was none other than the young man he had been thinking about all day.
Their eyes met, leaving Mo Yi momentarily speechless with surprise.
Immediately, the child nervously scanned the surroundings, realizing that he had previously dismissed the attendants, and only then did he sigh with relief.
Furrowing his brows, Mu Jin spoke to the carefree person in front of him, “Why are you here? Didn’t anyone notice you? It’s too dangerous to sneak into the palace like this!”
Mu Jin knew the child was worried about him, and warmth flowed through his heart. He reached out, gently patting the child’s forehead, and chuckled, “Didn’t the Empress Dowager tell you that I’m also staying in the palace?”
Seeing the surprise in Mo Yi’s eyes, Mu Jin continued, “My master asked me to stay in the palace to pray for the Empress Dowager. I’m the chief disciple under my master. I’ll be staying here for some time. And the Empress Dowager even arranged my residence next to yours! She said we’re similar in age and should get along well. I’m here to visit you, as per the Empress Dowager’s wish.”
Mu Jin intentionally placed his hand on his chest and bowed slightly, maintaining a serious expression, obediently following the Empress Dowager’s instructions.
However, Mo Yi had already seen through Mu Jin’s character and knew he wasn’t as well-behaved as he appeared.
Though hearing that Mu Jin was staying in the palace in a legitimate manner, Mo Yi finally felt relieved. He knew Mu Jin’s status as a disciple of Master Chong Ming, coupled with the role of praying for the Empress Dowager, would garner much respect in the palace.
Especially with Mu Jin stating he would be staying nearby, Mo Yi couldn’t hide his joy.
However, he quickly noticed his current situation. Hurriedly crouching down, he retreated back into the bathtub.
Blushing, Mo Yi urged Mu Jin, “Hurry, get out. Even if you come, couldn’t you at least inform me in advance? I’m not comfortable right now. A gentleman should understand the principle of not looking when it’s inappropriate!”
Although he was still young, conversing with Mu Jin while being naked felt a bit embarrassing.
Mu Jin found amusement in the child’s adherence to propriety, walked over without minding, and playfully poked his cheek.
Leaning on the bathtub, he teased, “With your size, you’re telling me about inappropriate behavior! Alright, anything to be shy about? Need your big brother to help you wash your back?”
Seeing Mu Jin’s mocking expression, Mo Yi angrily widened his eyes.
Seeing the genuine annoyance in the child, Mu Jin stopped teasing him.
Quickly surrendering, he raised his hands in submission, lightly laughing as he stepped out behind the folding screen.
Mo Yi stretched his neck, only relaxing when he couldn’t see Mu Jin anymore.
Patting his reddened cheeks, he couldn’t help but find Mu Jin’s carefree personality irresistible.
After quickly finishing the bath, Mo Yi walked out from behind the folding screen.
He saw that the palace attendants had already set up their dinner, and Mu Jin was sitting at the table, idly playing with a teacup.
Seeing the child finally coming out, Mu Jin immediately revealed a big smile.
Seeing Mu Jin’s smile, Mo Yi couldn’t help but curl up his lips. He noticed that whenever Mu Jin smiled, there were two faint dimples on his cheeks, adding a touch of innocence to the youth’s face, making him appear even more adorable and sweet.
At this moment, seeing each other again, though only a day had passed, their situations seemed entirely different.
For some reason, it felt like encountering this person marked the beginning of his good fortune.
Mo Yi had many questions about Mu Jin in his heart. Considering the person was right in front of him, he directly asked, “When did you find out about my identity?”
Looking at Mo Yi’s serious expression, Mu Jin directly pulled him over, making him sit next to him.
While serving the dishes, Mu Jin explained, “Yesterday, you pointed the way for me, so I found my master. I told him I met an exceptionally cute child in the palace and described your appearance. My master then told me that you are the Third Prince of this palace and mentioned that you have a mixed heritage.”
Not expecting Mu Jin to bring up his mixed heritage so straightforwardly, Mo Yi’s heart skipped a beat. He stared at Mu Jin, fearing to see any disdain on the youth’s face.
However, to his surprise, Mu Jin not only didn’t show any dislike, but also wore a satisfied expression, saying
“I knew it! No wonder you look so exquisite, with those beautiful light-colored eyes. It turns out it’s because of your mixed heritage.”
“I even thought, if it were an ordinary Xi Ling bloodline, how could you look so handsome.”
As Mu Jin spoke, he leaned closer to Mo Yi, seemingly carefully observing his features, eyes filled with admiration.
Mo Yi never expected that his usually criticized bloodline would be described as something worthy of envy. He was momentarily dumbfounded.
Suddenly, he felt all his questions were not so important anymore.
This person didn’t mind his background and circumstances. Even after learning about his identity, Mu Jin still willingly came to visit him in the palace.
For someone like him, what could the other person possibly have in mind?
Author’s note: The next chapter is about to begin. Time flies**~