Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Never a Smile on His Lips (2)

Eunuch Qin waited outside as the Emperor walked towards the Dragon Carriage. When they were ready to go to the inner palace, Yu Wenjie accidentally turned his head and glanced at the square in front of the imperial study.

Hua Chun was on the other side, twisting and mumbling: “You can use your shoulders to send the old lady into the palace, and you have to go by yourself when you go out. It’s like a rabbit and a dog.”

With one hand on her waist and the other on her leg, Hua Chun turned the handsome Prime Minister into a dying old man. She just turned the Prime Minister into beautiful laughing scenery on the imperial road.

With a ray of light in his eyes, Yu Wenjie paused and calmly turned his head.

“Your Majesty?” Eunuch Qin looked at him in surprise.

Was he blind? Eunuch Qin could not believe what he just saw. The Emperor just… likely laughed.

“Let’s go.” You Wenjje’s voice was calm; he then leaned against the back of his chair and closed his eyes to rest.

“Yes.” Eunuch Qin cleared his voice and ordered the footmen who carried the Dragon Chariot to drive forward.

After serving the Emperor for so many years, Eunuch Qin seldom saw him smile. Happy eyes meant he was energetic; half-close eyes meant unhappy. The Emperor was never happy.

But just now, when he shook his head, he seemed to see the corners of his mouth raised, as if the Emperor had been amused.

Somehow, he felt a little sadness.

Yu Wenjie was crowned as the Emperor when he was still a young boy. It did not only give him the supreme glory, but also he was deprived of the fun he should have as an ordinary boy – carefree with no heavy responsibilities on his shoulder.

After leaving the palace gate, Hua Chun was finally able to sit on the sedan chair. Grand Preceptor Tang and Grand Secretary Li, and others were still waiting for her at the palace gate. As soon as they saw her, they gathered around her anxiously.

“Don’t ask anything, don’t worry.” Hua Chun stretched out her hand to block them and said, “I have successfully handed the notes to the Emperor, and he just agreed to postpone the repair of Yong-An temple. Now, I just want to go home and have a rest.”

“Great!” Several old men huddled together and hurriedly helped her into the sedan chair.

“How could the Emperor speak so well?” Grand Preceptor Tang stopped. He could not believe how easy the Emperor was convinced and changed his mind. He followed Hua Chun outside the sedan chair and asked, “What did the Prime Minister say to the Emperor?”

Hua Chun was too tired to lift her hands and didn’t want to reason with others, but when she saw the eagerness on their faces, she couldn’t bear to open the small curtains next to them and said, “The imperial Senior Concubine Hua personally came and said that as long as the Prime Minister set an example, she would agree to stop rebuilding the temple. The Emperor also agreed to this proposal, so I had to push the boat with the current.”

Grand Preceptor Tang smiled coldly as he could not believe what just happened. Grand Secretary Li could not smile either. Both faces outside the curtain were stunned, and then they looked at her carefully.

‘Eh? What was this reaction?’ Hua Chun was puzzled. “What’s the matter?”

Grand Preceptor Tang hesitated and finally sighed, “The Prime Minister has sacrificed so much for this country.”

“Take care, Prime Minister Hua!” Grand Secretary Li said with pure sincerity on his face.

They all thought that the proposal of Senior Concubine Hua was a little unreasonable, didn’t they? Hua Chun sighed and waved to them generously, and then put down the curtain.

It shouldn’t be a big deal for the Hua family to repair the temple slowly, right? However, the imperial concubine was not sensible. She was from the Hua family who been long fascinated by beautiful temples and gardens. What’s the point of fighting?

The sedan chair took Hua Chun to the Prime Minister’s house. As she was getting out of the sedan chair, she saw her mother with a loud voice.

“Oh, my son! You are back at last!”