Chapter 024: Wei Xiaowan Gets Disciplined
When did he realize I was under the table?
Wei Wanlanâs heart was in utter chaos.
He was just a runaway puppet, already causing the Regent sleepless nights and skipped meals. If Su Jingzhi decided to vent all his discomfort on him, he was in serious danger.
Wei Wanlan quickly pursed his lips.
The scab on his lips was tugged, causing a sharp pain. His eyes welled up with tears as he looked timidly at the Regent. After building up his courage for a long time, he decided it was better to admit defeat early:
“I… I shouldnât have run off like that. I should have reported to the Regent first. Itâs my fault for making the Regent go through so much trouble to find me. I was in the wrong. Please, forgive me, I wonât do it again…”
Wei Wanlan thought he could take the initiative.
As long as he admitted his mistake quickly enough, Su Jingzhi wouldnât have a valid reason to kill him right away.
But he hadnât expected that this little trick would backfire, costing him the upper hand.
How proud was Su Jingzhi? For a fleeting moment, he had felt a twinge of guilt, thinking that the little emperor had run away because he had hurt his pride by biting his lips in the Tianlu Pavilion.
Yet now, with Wei Wanlan admitting his mistake, it was clear that his sneaking out had nothing to do with the incident in Tianlu Pavilion.
Very well.
Then he could hardly be blamed for needing to “discipline” him. Otherwise, with the emperor sneaking out of the palace every few days, chaos would reign in the court.
Su Jingzhi tapped the table beneath them, the surface making a soft sound. “How could His Majesty be in the wrong? Itâs just that you donât regard this Prince at all.”
The petals of the “Qingjia Fengzhi” flowers followed Su Jingzhiâs movement, their pale yellow petals falling onto Wei Wanlan.
A petal landed in Wei Wanlanâs palm, tickling him. He thought to himself, how could I dare not take you, the great villain, seriously?
Even if he didnât fully understand the sarcasm in Su Jingzhiâs words, he knew well the consequences of showing contempt for him.
Back then, a swordsman had underestimated the Regent and ended up being shot full of arrows like a porcupine. And when Cui Minghai embezzled military provisions, Su Jingzhi slaughtered him at the first grand banquet after returning to Changâan.
âŚThis man held grudges and was relentless in seeking revenge.
Wei Wanlan was so terrified he felt like he might melt into a puddle.
Crying, he tried to explain: “Well, I had my reasons. I didnât just decide to leave the palace for no reason. I left for the good of the Prince. You are magnanimous; donât blame me.”
“Letâs hear what benefits you made up for me.”
“Fine, Iâll makeâ no, I didnât make anything up!”
Why is he so wicked?! Every sentence is a trap for me!
Wei Wanlan, not exactly known for his cleverness, was at a loss. Su Jingzhiâs lines of questioning left him flustered and unable to think of any strategy. He desperately sought help from 404:
*[Hold back the truth. If he manages to get the real reason out of youâthat you left the palace to plot his assassinationâyouâll die on the spot.]*
Why are you suddenly using classical Chinese expressions?
Are you just here to watch me suffer?
Wei Wanlanâs eyes brimmed with tears, his vision blurring. His chest felt suffocated, and it seemed like his waist was about to snap.
But the Regent showed no signs of letting him go. Wei Wanlan could only look up with an expression of utmost sincerity:
“I admire the Prince. I wanted to help ease your burdens. I knew the Eastern City Gang was causing trouble, so I left the palace to deal with them. But youâve been watching me so closely, I was afraid you wouldnât approve.”
At this point, he didnât care how humiliating it was for an emperor to say he wanted to help a powerful minister with his burdens.
Wei Wanlan carefully observed Su Jingzhiâs reaction. The parts of their bodies in contact felt warm, and the calluses on Su Jingzhiâs palm rubbed against his wrist with a distinct scratchiness.
His breath fell near Wei Wanlanâs ear.
It brushed past his hair, tickling the fine hairs on his temples, making him itch unbearably.
“Have I been too strict with His Majesty?” Su Jingzhi asked.
Wei Wanlan immediately corrected himself: “No, youâve been protecting me too well!”
“Hah.”
Su Jingzhi chuckled softly. In the brief moment of tension, Wei Wanlanâs ears flushed red, like a freshly boiled shrimp just pulled from the water. Su Jingzhiâs gaze fell on the little emperorâs wrists, pinned against the desk. The skin around his wrist was already reddened, as his skin was always as delicate as tofu.
A dangerous, indescribable tension filled the air.
Wei Wanlanâs scalp tingled. He felt as though his lips were about to be bitten againâan action that seemed all too convenient. Desperately, he amped up his false flattery to its maximum:
“âI admire the Regent, and I feel sorry for the Regentâs hard work, managing the state so tirelessly. I just wanted to help, but I went about it the wrong way.”
“⌔
For a brief moment, the body pressed against him stiffened.
Wei Wanlan opened his eyes and glanced up slowly, only to see that Su Jingzhiâs reaction was rather strange. He wasnât moving. He was just staring at Wei Wanlan, as if triggered by some hidden meaning in his words.
Wei Wanlan decided to test things out, throwing out lines one by one: “I really admire you, Regent. Youâre so competent, governing Da Wei so efficiently, and youâre so handsome, too.”
No big reaction. Next.
“I saw your servants bring dinner earlier. I remember you once said youâve lost your sense of taste, but you should still eat a little and rest well afterward.”
Still no change. Next.
“Regent, youâve executed so many corrupt officials. Wonât they band together and try to retaliate against you? Donât worry, Iâll stand by your side…”
Su Jingzhiâs reaction grew even more off.
His lips were pressed tightly together, but there was a strange gleam in his eyes.
Wei Wanlan couldnât decipher the changes in this man, who was so adept at hiding his true feelings. Whenever he was around Su Jingzhi, he always felt like crying. Tears rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably, trailing from his reddened eyes to his temples.
In desperation, he burst out the last keyword he could think of, sobbing: “Regent… wuuu, I feel so bad for you… I feel so sorry for you… I havenât done anything helpful, and Iâve only caused you trouble for two whole days… wuuuu…”
*I feel sorry for you.*
*Sorry.*
Su Jingzhi was burned by that word.
His body trembled, and his fingers involuntarily tightened. *Sorry* and *sympathy* were words used for the weak. Since his birth, no one had ever treated him as a weak person.
Everyone looked up to his power.
But no one had ever spoken so softly, saying, “I feel sorry for you.”
Su Jingzhi released his grip from Wei Wanlanâs wrist.
His expression turned colder, his face darkening even more. “Is His Majesty using the wrong words? You, a clay Buddha crossing the river, dare to sympathize with this Prince?”
As the blood slowly returned to Wei Wanlanâs wrist, he still thought Su Jingzhiâs attitude was terrible, but at least he had survived a round. Relief flooded his heart, filling him with the joy of being alive.
He started to stand up.
“Ow, it hurts!”
A sharp pain shot from his chest, and Wei Wanlanâs face suddenly twisted in agony. He bit his lip, feeling as if something sharp, like a blade, was about to cut him open. His delicate, beautiful features were scrunched up in pain. “Ah… it hurts, it hurts so much.”
“Whatâs wrong?”
Su Jingzhiâs eyes narrowed as he looked down to assess the situation.
He saw that Wei Wanlanâs hand was covering his chest, the fabric of his robe bulging in that area. His hand gripped the edge of his robe as if trying to tear it open.
Su Jingzhi grabbed his wrist, his eyes turning red as he saw the beautiful figure beneath the scattered plum blossoms attempting to tear off his own clothes:
“Wei Wanlan, what are you doing?”
Wei Wanlanâs face contorted in pain, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
A few drops of blood stained his robes.
Whatever was happening, Su Jingzhi had no time to think. The sound of ripping fabric filled the studyâ
Wei Wanlanâs sobs grew louder. He was fragile, and seeing blood only heightened his fear. His terror of Su Jingzhi was now replaced by the fear of a fatal accident. His voice trembled as he wailed:
“Regent, my fake chest had two porcelain cups inside. They shattered! Will the shards pierce my heart? I donât want to die young! This is worse than *lingchi*! One cut and Iâm gone! Wuuu… save me, please!”
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