Volume 4: Stalking Horses

HUSBAND'S POV:

Longwei had watched his very pregnant wife get dragged away by the Imperial Queen Consort. There was no way he could object, but at the same time the Queen hadn't given a clear explanation about what she needed Guilei for either. She'd simply said it was girl's business and left with a cheerful expression on her face.

The chances were low that she intended to do anything harmful. But Longwei was by nature suspicious and had also spent six months on the run, with every waking moment devoted to trying to protect his wife. Suddenly having her dragged away without any idea of where she was going or why, made him feel unbearably restless.

He'd spent a solid minute pacing around the room before he gave up and decided to follow. It probably wasn't proper to use his mystic arts to spy on the Queen, even if his real intention was just to check in on his wife. But no one had forbidden him so if worse came to worse, he could claim ignorance. It's not like he could follow without using his arts. Not to mention Guilei, the Queen's Cultivation was high enough she'd definitely notice if he just tagged behind them without using a concealment art of some kind.

It didn't take him long to find them and someone else he wasn't expecting.

He was running along the interior, roofed walls of the Palace when he saw the Emperor. The Emperor was standing on one of the walls across from Longwei and looking directly at him. It was as if Longwei's concealment art wasn't doing anything. They both stared at each other in surprise.

Longwei broke out into a sweat when the Emperor jumped over to where he was, hovering a few feet away from him. He hadn't expected to get found so easily, and by the very last person he wanted finding him.

"What are you doing?" The Emperor asked, eyes narrowed.

His first instinct was to lie, but he remembered what the Emperor had said to him a few days ago.

"Answering the Emperor, this servant is following his wife." He replied honestly and was relieved to see the Emperor's expression relax.

The Emperor gave a slight nod, "So you were told to scram as well then?"

Longwei did a double take. Did he hear that right? Had the Imperial Queen Consort actually told the Emperor to scram!?

"Hm, it can't be helped." His Imperial Majesty sighed. "Yours is pregnant as well... extra caution is needed. Hn... it was wise of you to be sneaky."

Longwei felt like rubbing his forehead. Why did it sound like the Emperor assumed he was hiding from his wife because she was dangerous? What about her being pregnant meant he needed to be extra cautious? And that distant look… like a man who'd seen some things… really, Imperial Highness, what terrible things have you experienced at the hands of a pregnant woman to think this way?!

"Listen, I'm not unreasonable. Since you're in an awkward position, I will let you come along." He gave him a magnanimous expression as if conferring a great favor to Longwei.

"It's, er, this servants honor, Imperial Majesty." Longwei could only cup his hands and bow slightly. He supposed this was better than getting into trouble.

Because the Emperor was now with him, Longwei was forced to follow from farther behind. The Emperor didn't seem to know how to suppress his cultivation, so if they got too close they'd definitely be noticed.

The two women walked for quite some time before they got to another courtyard. They met up with another woman who Longwei heard called "Jia Ying". A large chest was floating behind her. The Queen Consort and Jia Ying chatting merrily while Guilei followed, an air of puzzlement about her.

They'd not gotten very far when…

"Old Man, you too?"

Longwei almost slipped on a roof tile he'd just landed on.

A rough looking man with glowing blue eyes had shown up as if out of thin air. The family resemblance was strong enough that Longwei didn't need to be told this was the son of the Emperor.

"Ah, Yan Li… why aren't you watching your son?"

Prince Yan Li's tanned face dropped slightly. "…Old Man… don't be like that…"

Longwei eyes widened slightly. He thought he was mistaken the first time, but was it really possible this son was calling his Imperial Father an 'Old Man'?

"If I don't say something, Mei will definitely let me have it later." The Emperor looked at his son in disapproval. "You've already caused me enough trouble, if you cause me more it will be my fist you feel next. Go home."

The Prince shamelessly grabbed the Emperor's arm and begged. "Little Wei is taking a nap and Nanny Ting is there to watch him. That's why Jia Ying dared to leave to begin with! Now that my relationship with her is official, I can spend all the time I want with her but she's heartlessly told me to scram. I can't stand it! You understand, right Father? Right?"

Seeing the Princes large pleading eyes, the Emperor lowered his eyebrows, expression troubled.

"Your son is really asleep?"

"Yes, yes! All the little ones take a nap around this time of day!"

"Hm…" The Emperor suddenly turned to Longwei. "What do you think?"

"Ah?!" Longwei pointed at himself in surprise. "T-this servant?!"

"En, your wife is involved too."

What did Guilei have to do with anything right now?! Longwei wanted to cry but pulled himself together.

The Prince saw the Emperor had passed the responsibility onto someone else. Someone who looked much easier to push around.

"You're… ah… Longwei, yes?"

"Answering the Prince, yes." Longwei kept his tone cautious but polite.

"Look, if you let me follow along, I'll definitely return this favor to you later."

Longwei's face remained professionally blank as he thought about how to answer. But the Prince mistook this as being unmoved, so he changed tactics.

"Also, I'm the Commander of the entire Imperial Army. So if you say no, I'll make your life miserable."

Longwei immediately cupped his hands and bowed.

"Imperial Majesty, this servant suggests that the Prince come with us."

The Emperor nodded sagely, "Then he can come."

"Father!" Yan Li eyes sparkled.

"Just remember," The Emperor looked very seriously at Longwei. "You can't claim later that it was my fault if things go wrong."

Longwei was speechless.

"We'll definitely deny any responsibility, right Yan Li?"

Yan Li nodded without any trace of guilt on his face.

Really?! Longwei lowered his eyebrows. Were these two actually adult men? Leaders of a nation? Were they really?!

The Prince hopped over and grabbed Longwei around the shoulders, saying cheerfully, "Don't worry. This method is best! Since Mother likes your wife, she definitely won't hurt you. You've got nothing to fear but.. Hm… maybe a verbal scolding. Not too bad, right?"

Longwei's lips twitched. This Imperial Family was entirely and completely shameless.

There were now three men stalking three women around the Palace.

Eventually the women made their way to a modestly sized building. The men positioned themselves so they could see the women through the windows and listened in on their conversation.

When Longwei realized the Queen Consort had actually taken his wife just to get her new clothes, he started feeling a little guilty. The Queen Consort had been very kind the entire time. She didn't throw her weight around and had treated Guilei as an equal rather than a servant.

After listening to the Seamstress' words, Longwei knew he'd have to rethink what Royalty actually meant in this place. While Jianghu didn't have an Emperor or King per say, there was a strict hierarchy regardless of Sect, Clan or Association. He and Guilei were used to dealing with people in that context, but the context has now drastically changed. They needed to adapt to that change.

Longwei was surprised when he saw his wife come out of the Seamstress's house in a long thick robe with her hair down. With a faint flush to her cheeks and an obviously pregnant belly, her usual commanding aura had softened substantially. She looked extremely huggable.

He was not a jealous man and instead preferred to show off his woman, the pride of his heart. Seeing her look so adorable, he praised the Seamstress in his heart. If she could make his masculine wife soften with just a robe, imagine what else she could do? He was immensely pleased.

While he was glad he'd followed just to see his wife like this, he wanted to turn back and go home at this point. Was he going to peep on the Queen and Prince's wife while they were bathing? He was worried not stupid! But to his shock, the other two men actually wouldn't let him leave!

When the women went into the bathhouse, where they couldn't follow, both the Emperor and the Prince sat down on a nearby courtyard wall and openly sulked.

"It's been so long since I could go in there..." the Prince said with a bitter but longingly expression. "...why must Jia Ying be there with Mother and not me?"

"What are you complaining about?" The Emperor looked even more put out. "At least you've had some fun all these years! Now that Mei's awake, you think I can just touch her as I like? No. I've got to restrain… restraint..."

The Prince reached out and patted his Father's back sympathetically. "Old Man, I was thoughtless, ah. It's been hardest on you."

Longwei tried to sit as far away from these two idiot— er, Imperial Royals as possible. He was afraid of catching their stupidity.

"Actually Old Man," Prince Yan Li suddenly became extremely serious. "What are you going to do? The bathhouse is just one building right now, isn't it? It was fine when we were children but everyone's grown up…"

"Ah… that's true. I suppose I should expand it, separate it to a men's and women's side."

The Prince cleared his throat. "Perhaps some smaller private bath—"

"GRANDPA!"

All three men almost fell off where they were sitting from the surprise shout.

The Emperor turned around and there was Yan Li's little brat waving at them from below.

"I thought you were napping?"

"I'm done!"

"Little Wei, go home immediately." The Prince tried to look stern but a noticeable trace of panic was in his eyes.

Little Wei only gave a glance at the Prince before ignoring him completely.

"Grandpa, Little Wei wants to see Grandma!"

"...you little brat, ignoring your own Father.."

The Emperor smirked. The Prince would now understand how he felt all these years. For the first time he felt like having a Grandson wasn't too bad a thing.

"Mei Hua is busy."

Little Wei pouted. "Too busy for Little Wei?"

"Hn, too busy for you." The Emperor said with a straight face, not at all ashamed for lying to a child.

Little Wei brows came together as he thought.

"What Grandpa doing?"

"Watching the sky."

The little boy looked up. The sky was a bright blue with fluffy clouds. He smiled.

"I watch too!"

The Emperor shook his head. "It's not safe for children up here. Go home, little one."

Little Wei pouted and then to the surprise of the Prince, turned around and ran away. When he didn't come back, they turned around and continued looking longingly at the bathhouse.

A few minutes later, Longwei could see the little boy making his way towards them, but on the other side of the wall they'd been sitting on. From the look of it, the boy was trying to find some way up the wall, despite having been told it wasn't safe.

When the boy got closer to them, he noticed that the Emperor and the Prince weren't looking at the sky at all, but the bathhouse. Longwei saw the boy's face go noticeably stormy as he realized he'd been lied to.

Much faster than should be normal for a child his age, Little Wei made a beeline for the bathhouse. Longwei thought he should probably be stopped and turned to the Emperor to say as much, only to find him gone. Not just him, but also the Prince.

Longwei covered his face with his hands and sighed.

They definitely left so all the blame would fall on his head.