jdhmnovel Chapter 258 The Pulling and Pulling in the Imperial Garden
Chapter 258 The Pulling and Pulling in the Imperial Garden
Chapter 258 The Pulling and Pulling in the Imperial Garden
"Oh... I didn't expect that you, a demon, would pay so much attention to mental health."
The Dream Eater snorted and turned its face away haughtily.
Zi Guang walked over from the small kitchen and saw Long Chuqing and Qingshan squatting on the ground talking. She got closer and discovered the Dream Eater lying on the ground.
"What kind of animal is this? Why does it look so strange?"
Long Chuqing introduced.
"This creature is called a Dream Eater. It does look rather strange, which is why it is quite rare. It was found by the Prince."
Long Chuqing gave Qingshan a wink, signaling him not to tell Ziguang that this thing was an evil spirit, as the little girl might be frightened if she knew.
Qingshan instantly understood what Long Chuqing meant.
"Yes... This was caught in the wild by Deputy General Zhou from the military camp. It was brought to the Prince's mansion yesterday. It's quite rare, so the Prince asked me to bring it over for you to see as well."
"Oh, I see!" Ziguang said. "Kittens used to frequent the yard. I thought this strange tapir had come here on its own."
Now the Dream Eater's body had transformed into something larger than a kitten, and it was tied up with a rope. It looked tired and sleepy, and it didn't seem to be able to attack people. So Zi Guang approached it to take a closer look.
"It looks really strange..." She poked the Baku with her finger.
"Hmph... You're the strange one, your whole family is strange. I am the Dream Immortal, how dare a mere mortal speak so presumptuously."
"And you two, lying through your teeth. Humans... are just hypocritical, lies just spring out of their mouths."
The dream-eating beast opened its eyelids and hummed twice.
Zi Guang couldn't hear the Dream Demon's voice; it only knew that the Dream Demon opened its mouth and hummed a few times.
Because Fei Feng used magic on Xiao Han and the others last night, Qing Shan was able to hear the sounds coming from the Dream Eater's abdomen. The effect lasts for about a day.
Royal Palace
Grand Historian Wu recounted to Emperor Sukang in the Imperial Study the incident of Xiao Han appearing at the demon-catching scene the previous night.
Emperor Sukang, sitting before his desk, lowered his eyes and fell into a brief moment of contemplation after listening to Minister Wu's report.
It was no coincidence that Lao Qi appeared at the demon-catching scene twice.
He believed he knew his seventh son quite well; he didn't seem like the type to enjoy adventure and seek thrills.
He rarely read books about strange tales or ghost stories from a young age, and he wasn't interested in ghost stories or monsters.
It's even more impossible that he captured demons to use them for his own purposes; he had no such intention.
As for his deliberate recruitment of people skilled in magic for his own use, this matter remains questionable and needs to be confirmed.
If there's one stranger who's recently appeared in his life, it's the female doctor who detoxified him.
According to Wu Aiqing, the person who went with him to catch the demon last night was also a woman. Could they be the same person?
If it is indeed the same person, then she not only possesses superb medical skills, but also the magic to suppress evil spirits. This woman is truly extraordinary.
Was she staying by Lao Qi's side simply to detoxify him, or did she have some other purpose?
Instead of wasting time speculating, it would be better to just ask the Seventh Prince directly! After all, dealing with these memorials every day is already annoying enough, and I really don't want to rack my brains over these troubling things.
"Minister Wu, I am aware of what happened. I will consult with the Prince of Qin before making a decision. You may leave now!"
"Your humble servant takes his leave." Lord Wu performed the farewell ceremony and withdrew from the imperial study.
"Xue Ci, summon the Prince of Qin to the palace." Emperor Sukang rubbed his temples.
“Hmm…”
Xiao Han returned to his residence and had just finished lunch when someone from the palace arrived.
He had just returned from the palace and didn't know why his father wanted to see him.
He changed his clothes and then entered the palace with Eunuch Yu, who had come to deliver the imperial decree.
After reviewing the memorials, Emperor Sukang went for a walk in the garden to digest his food after lunch.
Xiao Han paid his respects to the emperor in the pavilion of the Imperial Garden.
"My son, I will meet my father."
"No gift."
Emperor Sukang pointed to the stool beside him, "Sit down!"
"Thank you, Father."
The little eunuch next to him quickly placed a cotton cushion on the stone bench.
Emperor Sukang waved his hand, and his entourage withdrew from the pavilion.
He picked up the hot tea beside him and sipped it leisurely, glancing towards the garden, clearly not in a hurry to talk to Xiao Han.
A private conversation? Does Father want to discuss something important with him?
Xiao Han rubbed his thumb against his clenched index finger, unable to fathom the purpose of his father's summons.
"Father...what brings you here to me?"
After a moment, Xiao Han finally couldn't help but speak first, the silence making him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
This calm made him uneasy, unsure whether a gale or thunder would come first.
It would be more reassuring to yell at him or scold him directly than to remain silent like this.
Thinking of this, he felt a little ashamed: What kind of thinking was that? How could he misinterpret his relationship with his father like that!
Isn't a pleasant atmosphere nice? Perhaps there's nothing important, which is why Father is so relaxed.
Emperor Sukang glanced at him and put down his teacup.
"What's the rush? It's rare for the two of us, father and son, to be alone. Can't we have some tea and leisurely enjoy the scenery around us?"
These brats have grown up now, but they treat me like a monster!
They act like mice in front of a cat when they see me. Am I that scary?
Sigh... He was so much cuter when he was little. When he saw me, he would ask if I was tired from reviewing memorials, and he would even cuddle with me and ask me for advice on swordsmanship and other things he didn't understand.
Unlike now, when they grow up, they no longer care about me, one by one... sigh...
Xiao Han felt a little guilty: "Then... Your Majesty, I'll accompany you for a walk."
It does get a bit chilly after staying in the pavilion for a while.
The sun is shining brightly outside. Although the winter sun is not as strong as the summer sun, it is still warmer and more comfortable under the sun than in the pavilion.
"Let's go..."
Emperor Sukang stood up, straightened his back, put his hands behind his back, and walked out of the pavilion.
Xiao Han followed them out of the pavilion, with a group of followers keeping a respectful distance behind them.
"Tell me about what happened to you last night!" Emperor Sukang said calmly.
What happened last night? I was taken aback.
The Emperor's question likely wasn't about what time he went to sleep.
Last night he and Chu Qing went to the west of the city to catch the dream demon. Could it be that Father Emperor knows about this?
But how did his father find out his whereabouts?
First, we can rule out the possibility that his father secretly sent someone to monitor him.
There's no doubt that the bronze-clad men were sent by the Emperor.
And Chu Qing couldn't possibly be someone sent by the Emperor.
Besides them, the only other people present at the scene last night were the three strangers who suddenly appeared later.
Looking back now, it seems they had no hostility whatsoever. According to Qing Tong, they left without doing anything in the end.
If they are the Emperor's men, then everything makes sense.
"Last night... Father Emperor, what do you mean?" Xiao Han answered cautiously.
If they weren't sent by the Emperor, then the Emperor probably only knew that he went out in the middle of the night, and only had a vague understanding of the matter. So the question just now was just a trick to provoke him.