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Empress Dowager Zhuang was still in her study, looking over the documents that Grand Preceptor Zhuang had submitted. After she finished going through them, she would return them to the officials to present to the Emperor in court.
Eunuch Qin was standing on the side and his eyes brightened when he saw Xiao Liulang. He said to Empress Dowager Zhuang, "The tea has cooled down. This servant shall brew a new pot of hot tea."
Empress Dowager Zhuang glanced at Xiao Liulang and snorted. Eunuch Qin left with a smile, taking the rest of the palace maids with him.
"What are you here for?" Empress Dowager Zhuang asked, looking through some documents with indifference.
"Just passing by." Xiao Liulang replied.
Both of them were the type of people who would rather die than explain themselves further, so neither was willing to speak first to break the ice.
"I'm leaving." Xiao Liulang said.
There wasn't really anything important going on. He had just come to check on things.
He had always known that the Emperor and Empress Dowager had a strained relationship, but he didn't think it would get to this point.
He was a little worried.
Empress Dowager Zhuang watched him turn around, she cleared her throat and asked, "Why did you speak up for Aijia?"
Xiao Liulang responded lightly, "There's no particular reason. A loyal subject shares the worries of his ruler. It's part of our duty."
Eunuch Qin, who was eavesdropping outside, was getting anxious to death. What bullshit subject, what nonsense duty? Just speak human words, explain plainly ah! It wasn’t like it would burn your mouth!
He was truly anxious to death! Anxious to death!
He had never felt like this even when the Emperor and Empress Dowager's relationship had become estranged. After all, the Emperor’s behavior could be really childish and quite annoying, but Senior Compiler Xiao was so devoted to Empress Dowager. It was really distressing to see them misunderstand each other like this.
They obviously cared about each other so much, why did they have to act like strangers?
The inkstone in Xiao Liulang's hand slipped and fell to the ground. He bent down to pick it up, causing his pouch to fall out of his pocket.
When Empress Dowager Zhuang saw the pouch, her eyes flickered slightly.
It was the birthday gift that she had given to Xiao Liulang on his birthday, which was on New Year's Eve. Little Jing Kong had one too.
Empress Dowager Zhuang had embroidered some orchids on it, but it looked too ugly that it resembled weeds, so she had Old Chief modify it and embroider a piece of bamboo instead. She also added some stitches to the seams.
But it was still not very good-looking after all.
Empress Dowager Zhuang snorted, "Why are you still keeping such an ugly thing? Aren't you afraid of losing face? You're at least a Hanlin official."
Xiao Liulang didn't say anything and put the pouch back into his arms, continuing to walk outside.
Come back!
Empress Dowager Zhuang opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't say the words on the tip of her tongue.
If it weren't for her awkward personality, she wouldn't have had to shoulder so much blame.
Though she had indeed done a lot of bad things.
She tossed the papers in her hand irritably, feeling extremely upset!
Suddenly, Xiao Liulang, who had already disappeared, came back.
He came back too quickly, so quick that Empress Dowager Zhuang didn't even have time to hide the frustration in her eyes.
Xiao Liulang took a deep breath as if plucking up some courage, and then asked in a low voice, "Why am I the only one without a token?"
"Hm?" Empress Dowager Zhuang was startled.
Xiao Liulang clenched his fists, his face turning red, but he continued to gather his courage and asked again, "Why am I the only one without a token?”
Why didn't Renshou Palace prepare anything for me?
...Do you not want me?
His tone was as usual, but his eyes couldn't hide the grievances he had been keeping.
Empress Dowager Zhuang's heart was wrenching.
Seeing that sense of grievance within his eyes pained her heart.
She lowered her eyes and said in a small voice, "Aijia… thought you wouldn’t want it."
"Why wouldn’t I want it..." Xiao Liulang stopped midway.
Aijia thought you wouldn’t want it.
This sentence carried a huge amount of information.
The ‘you’ in Grandaunt’s statement wasn’t talking about Xiao Liulang, because only Xiao Heng might not want anything from her.
Empress Dowager Zhuang recognized who he was.
She also remembered the time when she had allegedly poisoned Xiao Heng, and knew that Xiao Heng had always been wary of her, disliked her, and wished to stay away from her.
"Have you never thought…” Of asking me?
"Aijia has thought about it, but… Aijia was afraid." Empress Dowager Zhuang confessed her feelings with almost all the courage and dignity she had.
She cared too much and thus was afraid of rejection, to the point that she rejected the possibility of being rejected first.
She would rather take the blame a thousand times than to confess her feelings once.
Her pride was so strong that it made her personality twisted.
But the hint of grievance in Xiao Liulang's eyes shattered the pride she had accumulated over the years.
"I never thought of turning you away!" Xiao Liulang turned his head sideways and said in a wistful and awkward tone.
He was also a twisted one.
He was too ashamed to bring his feelings out in the open.
Moreover, he was still a kid.
In front of the elderly woman, that was.
Empress Dowager Zhuang stared at him with shining eyes, "What did you say?"
"Nothing!" Xiao Liulang walked out expressionlessly.
Before he left Renshou Palace, Eunuch Qin caught up with him, smiling and saying, "Senior Compiler Xiao, please wait! You forgot something!"
"I didn't." Xiao Liulang replied.
"You did! Come with me and get it!" Eunuch Qin insisted.
Xiao Liulang was taken by Eunuch Qin to a side hall of Renshou Palace.
Eunuch Qin opened the door and said with a smile, "Please come in."
Xiao Liulang stepped inside.
The spacious side hall was full of bookshelves, with books neatly arranged on them.
At the window with sunlight streaming in, there was a writing desk with the four treasures of the study emitting a faint ink fragrance, and in the center of the desk was a brocade box.
Eunuch Qin brought over the brocade box to him and said, "Here you go."
Xiao Liulang opened it and was surprised to find a Renshou Palace token inside.
Eunuch Qin sighed, "The Empress Dowager has had it prepared for a long time, but this servant doesn't know why she hasn't brought it out until now. And this side hall, too, was refurbished by the Empress Dowager. At first, I didn't understand why she was making such a big library, but today I finally understand its purpose."
They only had a small room or a small courtyard, but he had such a large library?
Xiao Liulang couldn't believe it and couldn't describe his feelings.
He didn't suspect that Eunuch Qin's words might be false. After all, tokens could immediately be prepared, but a library like this couldn't be created in an instant. The smell of paint was still new and strong.
He stood there stupidly, like a dumbfounded little chicken.
At this moment, he lost the mature aura he had before, displaying a bit of childish innocence and awkwardness.
Being forced to grow up was a helplessness, while being pampered back to being a child was a kind of luck and happiness.
"Senior Compiler Xiao." Eunuch Qin packed the brocade box and inkstone into a bundle, then turned to Xiao Liulang who was still in a daze and waved his hand in front of him. "Don't get too overjoyed."
"I'm not overjoyed." Xiao Liulang said calmly and walked out with the same hand and foot, carrying the bundle.
Eunuch Qin with black lines on his forehead: “...”
Xiao Liulang walked through most of Renshou Palace with his bundle and crutch like a robot, leaving the palace maids and eunuchs in bewilderment.
Was it okay for such a peerless looking guy to walk like an idiot?!
Xiao Liulang had already left Renshou Palace, but suddenly paused and went back.
He stood outside Empress Dowager Zhuang's study and didn't go in.
Empress Dowager Zhuang said blandly, "You don't need to thank Aijia, it'll give Aijia goosebumps."
Damn it. She regretted saying so much earlier. It was only because she was defeated by this boy’s look of grievance and became possessed for a while.
If she had another chance, she would instead pierce his heart a hundred times and would never admit that she was afraid of being rejected by him.
Xiao Liulang pursed his lips, poked his head in from the outside, and complained in a particularly childish manner, "Grandaunt, Grand Preceptor Zhuang is bullying me!"
After that, he ran away like a rocket!
Okay, this was the first time he behaved so childishly. He felt embarrassed and forgot that he was still a cripple. He ran and stumbled, falling down the steps and tumbling onto the lawn.
Everyone: "..."
They couldn't bear to watch it.
The corner of Empress Dowager Zhuang's lips twitched imperceptibly. The next second, she regained her cold and imposing manner and ordered, "Summon Grand Preceptor Zhuang!"
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