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Chapter 4: Rejection to Being the Cannon Fodder

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The Emperor!

Ling Xiao widened his eyes. Was this good luck or bad?!

What should he do now? This letter that he was holding… should he hide it or hand it over?

He stared blankly for three seconds, before Ling Xiao was able to clench his teeth and handle it in a way it would benefit him the most.

He turned around and kneeled before the Emperor, presenting the letter to him on top of his two spread out hands, “Naturally it is as it seems, presenting the letter to Your Majesty.”

A brief silence arose from the other party, and Ling Xiao did not dare to lift his head to see the Emperor’s expression. His two eyes could only look at the golden silk embroidery on his gown, as well as that pair of gold-gilded black boots.

Suddenly, someone took the letter out of his hands. Ling Xiao put his empty hands down and slightly glanced upwards.

The letter had been taken by a eunuch dressed in clothes decorated with red clouds. Ling Xiao knew that this man was the trusted eunuch that always followed the Emperor’s heels, Steward Xu.

In his hands was also a white pigeon, causing Ling Xiao to feel cold sweat. That pigeon,  which had been just recently scared away, had actually run into the Emperor!

The Emperor reached out and took the letter that Steward Xu handed over, slightly glancing at Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao lowered his head at once, not daring to look up again.

The Emperor opened the letter, and it went deathly silent.

Ling Xiao was dripping with cold sweat, according to what he knew from his previous life, the Emperor had a very serious and strict temper. It was impossible for him to put up with this kind of matter!

As a result, the silence right now, Ling Xiao could only feel that it was even scarier.

For a long time… as if a century has just gone by, before that deep and resounding voice spoke once again.

“Cut down that useless eunuch in the back.”

It was this short sentence that made Ling Xiao’s complexion become even more pale. Li Yuan was almost definitely dead, but what about him?

What would happen to him?

Ling Xiao heard a response from Steward Xu and saw Steward Xu pass by him from the corner of his eye. After that, he heard Li Yuan’s beg for forgiveness and then a scream.

Then, there was not even a single sound.

Ling Xiao remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to move at all.

He no longer dared to raise his head to look at the hem of the Emperor’s clothes anymore, and only kept his head very low to appear obedient.

However, after a long time, there still weren’t any other sounds. Just as Ling Xiao felt that something was strange, an upside-down face full of laugh lines suddenly appeared in front of him, causing him to shout loudly in fear and he fell back onto the ground on his rear end.

Steward Xu laughed: “What’s wrong? So young and already can’t take a fright?”

“Steward… Steward Xu…” Ling Xiao held his chest, breathing deeply, as he looked all over the place. But he could only see Steward Xu that was by him and the silhouette of the Emperor was already out of sight.

“You don’t need to look anymore, His Majesty has already left.” Steward Xu said, beaming.

“Left?” Ling Xiao was amazed.

Steward Xu nodded and squatted down to look him in the face: “What? You didn’t want His Majesty to leave?”

Ling Xiao shook his head and then Steward Xu grimly laughed, “Seems like you’re quite clever. You’re new right? A newcomer, yet you immediately knew His Majesty and I, my goodness… You really are a clever youngster. I will tell you without worry that it was thanks to that clever temperament of yours that you managed to escape this time.”

“His Majesty hates people hiding things from him the most. The choice you picked was very wise, handing the letter over to His Majesty.”

Steward Xu sneered as he said, “I dare guarantee that if you had hidden the letter, the one to die wouldn’t have just been that little plum.”[footnote]That eunuch’s name was Li Yuan, and Plum is Li Zhi, somewhat of a pun.[/footnote]

“……” Ling Xiao stared at him, his head covered with cold sweat.

This was only thanks to his previous life. He had understood the Emperor quite well in his previous life and was aware that the Emperor was a person who couldn’t bear to be deceived, so he didn’t dare conceal the matter.

Steward Xu patted Ling Xiao’s shoulder, “That little plum had been in the imperial palace for so many years, yet he still couldn’t learn even a portion of your cleverness. He was unable to move after a single fright, so it’s no wonder he was killed this time.”

Saying this, Steward Xu stood up, “Although His Majesty spared you, you should be aware, right? What His Majesty means… by not mentioning it?”

Ling Xiao blinked. The reason why the Emperor didn’t mention it, was it because he wanted to act as if it had never happened?

Why? The Emperor could endure this kind of matter?! This and the previous Emperor was a little different!

Even while a bit of doubt remained in his heart, he still answered properly, “Your servant understands.”

Steward Xu nodded his head in satisfaction, “Indeed a clever one.”

Saying this, he gave a final glance at Ling Xiao, shook off the dust on his left hand, and lifted his foot to walk away.

Ling Xiao was paralyzed on the ground, wiping his nonexistent sweat.

Only after raising his head to look around his surroundings, did he realize that this was the imperial garden. The place farthest from the palace was also the place that the Emperor frequented the most!

No wonder the probability of running into the Emperor was so high!

Ling Xiao supported himself on the rockery and stood up, his legs somewhat weak. This Emperor and the one he knew before were way too different!

Although their temper, likes and dislikes were almost the same, the decision-making wasn’t quite right…

Ling Xiao contemplated this as he supported his weaken legs and walked back to Chu Xiu Palace step by step.

The moment he entered Chu Xiu Palace, he heard a sharp and sarcastic voice.

“Do you think that just because you have this face, everyone will yield to you?!”

“Are you even paying attention to who you are?! An ordinary commoner, your family has neither wealth nor background, yet you still put on airs in here, the Chu Xiu Palace?! What a joke!”

Ling Xiao was distracted as he heard a familiar voice.

“You just think you’re so amazing! Isn’t your family just wealthy and powerful! You think you can bully people just because of that?!”

Ling Xiao frowned, catching sight of Mo Qi dressed in entirely pink female clothing and a medium-class beauty dressed in yellow clothing quarreling.

The woman dressed in yellow had arrogance and disdain written across her entire face, while Mo Qi’s eyes were red-rimmed and her face was full of weakness.

Anyone who saw this would believe that the woman dressed in yellow was bullying Mo Qi.

But Ling Xiao knew that this event had been caused by Mo Qi running into the yellow-clothed woman and being unwilling to apologize, as she was still arrogant about her appearance, which made the yellow-clothed woman unhappy.

In his previous life, this had also happened. The yellow-clad woman’s family name was He. Her family was wealthy and a few of her relatives were small officials. Her nature could be regarded as neither good nor bad, and she was very jealous of Mo Qi’s appearance. However, her innate tendency was to fear power. Believing herself to be a cut above Mo Qi, she really couldn’t stand her.

In his previous life, Mo Qi was always quarreling with the other Palace Women in Chu Xiu Palace. In the end, it was Ling Xiao who had listened to Mo Qi’s tearful complaints and helped her teach the Palace Women a lesson.

With this matter reappearing in this life, Ling Xiao didn’t want to participate on either side.

Besides, right now he was still so frightened by the Emperor that he was weak in the legs. He really didn’t have the energy to care about them.

Yet Mo Qi managed to see Ling Xiao with her keen eyes, and she hatefully glared at the other Palace Woman, before running straight for Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao frowned and sped up.

“Hold it! Ling Xiao!”

Ling Xiao stopped his footsteps, while Mo Qi advanced as she panted with rage. Realizing that her expression wasn’t quite right, she changed her face into one that better fit her weeping and sobbing.

“Ling Xiao, someone bullied me!”

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