Chapter 584: Gao Zhijian

Chapter 584: Gao Zhijian

As Bai Lingmiao carried the food box and walked toward the exit, Chun Xiaoman let out a soft sigh. She truly did not understand why Miaomiao was so fond of Brother Li.

But soon enough, her mood brightened again. As long as Miaomiao and Brother Li were safe, everything else mattered little. All she wished now was for them to live well together from here on.

Miaomiao was unharmed, Brother Li was still alive, and Gao Zhijian had become emperor. Everything seemed to be turning for the better. The heavy stone that had been hanging in her heart for so long finally settled, and even her thoughts felt lighter and more playful.

"Swift bird nest porridge? What could it possibly taste like?" Chun Xiaoman looked at the leftover broth in the pot, picked up a wooden spoon, scraped some into her mouth. "Not very good at all. Nothing much to it."

Just as she said this, she suddenly noticed someone approaching from the entrance of the imperial kitchen. It was Gao Zhijian—and he came alone.

When the man dressed in dragon robes stepped before her, completely blocking the light, a flicker of panic crossed Chun Xiaoman’s heart. But she quickly composed herself and naturally tugged at his dragon robe.

"This outfit looks great on you. It fits you perfectly. What kind of fabric is it made of?"

"Gold mixed with cloth."

"Gold can actually be worn on the body?" Chun Xiaoman asked curiously, eyeing him closely.

"Xiaoman, do you want one? I can give it to you."

Hearing that, Chun Xiaoman shook her head decisively. "Forget it. How heavy would it be wearing gold?"

"Xiao... Xiao... Xiao... Xiaoman." Gao Zhijian stammered as if reverting to his old self. He gazed at the young girl wrapped entirely in black fur with a complex expression.

He didn’t know exactly when he had fallen for her, or why he found himself drawn to this woman covered in black fur—yet he couldn’t forget her no matter how hard he tried.

Inside, Gao Zhijian struggled fiercely. His calloused hands clenched into fists tightly.

Suddenly, he spread his arms wide and pulled Chun Xiaoman into his embrace. "Eunuchs and the Grand Minister are both pressuring me to choose a consort and bear sons. My first thought was you—but..."

His voice cracked and trembled, and he held her even tighter.

"But I cannot. If you became empress, our children, when they grow up, might end up killing each other until only one remains. At that time, what pain would you feel? I don’t want you to suffer. Because I love you! I don’t want you to hurt."

In the midst of his choked words, Chun Xiaoman broke free from his arms. “Do you think I’m deaf? I’ve told you clearly! I can live just fine without marrying a man!”

"Don’t think being emperor gives you special privileges! What I say goes, and once I speak, it's final!"

“If you keep acting like this, don’t blame us for no longer being brother and sister!” With that, Chun Xiaoman stormed out of the imperial kitchen, furious.

But as soon as she stepped outside, her face crumpled again. She leaned against the wall and slid down slowly, burying her head between her knees in desolation.

After a while, with red eyes, she stood up again, took a deep breath, and ran after Bai Lingmiao who had left earlier.

This scene was witnessed by three people hiding behind the pillars of a pavilion. Zhao Wuxi grinned mischievously to his companion, Gouwa. “What do you think? If Xiaoman doesn't even want to be empress, does that mean she likes me?”

“Hmm?” Gouwa stared at him with an expression like he'd eaten a fly. “Does that even count?”

“How isn’t that related?”

Lü Xiucai, arms crossed beside them, interjected. “Yeah, it counts. Hurry up and go propose to Xiaoman. On your wedding day, I’ll help you lead the horse.”

Hearing this, Zhao Wu opened his mouth but said nothing more.

At that moment, Gao Zhijian also emerged from the imperial kitchen. First, he glanced at the retreating figure of Chun Xiaoman, then turned around and walked toward their pavilion.

“Shh! That fool is walking straight toward us. Quick! Act like you’re doing something! Don’t let him know we’ve been following him!”

When Gao Zhijian arrived, he saw them huddled together, staring intently at fallen leaves on the ground. “What are you doing?”

“Ahh… cough, your palace is so big, we just wanted to explore. We got lost.”

Gao Zhijian nodded. “I’ll find a eunuch to guide you around.”

“You can all go and stay wherever you like, but there are some places inside the palace where you shouldn’t go.”

Upon hearing this, a gloomy-faced eunuch slowly descended from the pillar, knelt before Gao Zhijian, and bowed deeply. “Your Majesty, I am here.”

Clearly, he had overheard every word they had spoken.

“Ahh, ha ha, then please have this official accompany us,” Gouwa chuckled, walked over to the eunuch, and wrapped his arm around his neck as they walked away.

They hadn’t gone far when Gouwa pulled out some silver coins and shoved them into the eunuch’s chest despite his protests.

Once the three had left, Gao Zhijian’s demeanor instantly darkened. He sat on the steps of the pavilion, staring blankly at the neatly laid stones beneath him.

After a stick of incense burned, he spoke again, dazedly. “Do as you said. Choose a consort, then start selecting palace maidens through the Ministry of Household.”

Now the Emperor of Great Liang, and the only one at that, he needed to marry and sire heirs quickly to protect the dynasty. The sooner, the better—more the merrier.

He didn’t want to marry Xiaoman, and he didn’t want to marry anyone at all. But his marriage wasn’t just about himself—it concerned the bloodline of the empire, which in turn affected all the people under heaven.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said the Grand Minister of Great Liang, who had silently appeared beside him. Bowing respectfully, he turned and left.

Just as he did, he bumped into the tall figure of the Astronomer General, clad in red robes. They exchanged silent nods and passed each other without a word.

“Your Majesty,” the astronomer said, settling beside him.

“As a ruler, you must focus on matters of state. Especially after last year’s disaster, the people of the six regions of Liang barely survived. I’ve divined that next year won’t be easy either. You should return to court and familiarize yourself with governance.”

Gao Zhijian rubbed his calloused hands across his face before standing up again. “I understand.”

“Xuan Pin, have I really… gotten better? That dice… it truly cannot be controlled. Am I going mad?”

To him, everything else could wait. This matter was the most pressing. If he could transform into another person at any moment, it would be terrifying.

Thinking back to how the Zuo Wang Dao had once manipulated him to incite self-destruction among the military and others, he shuddered with fear.

The astronomer pondered for a moment, neither nodding nor shaking his head. “That matter may need to be asked of Li Huo Wang. He lost the dice that day. Whether the dice is alive or dead, I cannot say.”

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