Chapter 84: Who Has Changed

Chapter 84

Emperor Ming Yuan was reviewing memorials. Just before he arrived, Sun Grand Academician, who was known for being a big mouth, had just left. If he saw Yuwen Hao cleaning the imperial study, he would surely tell everyone in the palace within a day.

"Look up!" Emperor Ming Yuan's voice smashed over from his left.

Yuwen Hao was holding a rag and slowly turned around, squeezing out a smile as he half covered his face with the lute, "Father!"

Emperor Ming Yuan's mouth twitched for a moment. After pausing for several seconds to hold in his laughter, he said coldly, "Ugly people do more evil."

Yuwen Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he stood there. What did this have to do with ugly people doing more evil?

"Mu Ru, apply some anti-toxin ointment on him!" Emperor Ming Yuan ordered.

"Anti-toxin ointment?" Mu Ru the eunuch was stunned for a moment. "This is..."

"What nonsense?" Emperor Ming Yuan said coldly.

Mu Ru the eunuch acknowledged and took out a small tortoiseshell box from the cabinet. He walked over to Yuwen Hao and smiled, "Your Highness, please endure it. This anti-toxin ointment stings when applied."

"It's fine, I'm not afraid of pain," Yuwen Hao said, feeling somewhat moved. Father is really benevolent.

However, why did Mu Ru's eyes seem to flash with a hint of sympathy?

Soon, he couldn't think anymore. The ointment, when applied, was not just stinging pain. It was excruciating, as if needles were piercing his skin and flesh, penetrating to his heart. He panted heavily, "Gently, gently!"

"If you can't endure this bit of pain, what can you accomplish?" Emperor Ming Yuan said angrily.

Yuwen Hao swallowed back the gasps of shock and pain. But it really hurt badly. Now he understood why there was a hint of sympathy in Mu Ru's eyes.

After the medicine was applied, he felt that everything above his neck was no longer his. The pain was almost numb.

Moreover, he felt his eyelids were even more swollen. Just now he could still open them a sliver, and now only a slit remained, and he could barely see.

"Get lost!" Emperor Ming Yuan magnanimously exempted him from his cleaning duty.

"Yes, your undutiful son takes his leave!" Yuwen Hao quickly cupped his fists and retreated. His vision was blurred, and he couldn't even see the doorway. He pulled hard on the bronze ring next to the door.

Mu Ru the eunuch laughed and opened the door, "Your Highness, this way!"

The light shone in and Yuwen Hao saw it. He charged over and bumped right into the door. The pain made him gnash his teeth. He stumbled out.

What about now?

He took a deep breath and thought about the things she had done recently. Sometimes very annoying, sometimes quite sensible, sometimes even a bit cute - like when she came in swinging a cleaver and raving drunk.

He had to admit that just thinking of the three words Yuan Qingling made his breathing rapid and his mind almost explode.

But why was this happening?

Steward Gu said, "Your Highness, think it over carefully."

Then he turned and left.

Yuwen Hao pillowed his hands behind his head and unconsciously squinted. He suddenly felt dejected. No need to squint - he couldn't see anyway.

Would he have done something so childish before? Seeing a bee's nest and wanting to play a trick to harm that ugly, annoying woman. He wouldn't have done something like this after the age of ten.

So why did he ruin his image like that today in Qian Kun Palace? Just to deliberately provoke Yuan Qingling?

It seemed he had to keep his distance from this woman, otherwise who knew what other childish things he might do in the future.

Yuan Qingling came back to Qian Kun Palace still upset.

The Retired Emperor stared at her. "Can you not smack your lips when you eat? It's so annoying."

Yuan Qingling put down her porcelain spoon. "I won't eat then."

"Angry?" The Retired Emperor asked.

"Not angry," Yuan Qingling thought about it and felt she shouldn't conceal her emotions either, so she indignantly said, "It's fake to say I'm not angry. I've never seen such a scumbag. I originally thought he kindly wanted to help me clean the imperial study and was grateful to him. Who knew he would deliberately provoke a bee's nest to harm me instead."

"But in the end wasn't it he who harmed himself?" The Retired Emperor said.

"That's not the point. I'm upset because of the psychological letdown. I was prepared to get along well with him. We had just reached an understanding when we entered the palace today. Why can't he just settle down? Am I so detestable that he has to think of ways to harm me before he's satisfied?" The more Yuan Qingling thought about it, the angrier she got.

The Retired Emperor shook his head. "I don't believe he would do that. You misunderstood him."

"No misunderstanding. He admitted it himself," Yuan Qingling said impatiently.

"He is always steady and prudent. His father just sent him to take over the Jingzhao Prefecture. Why would he make trouble in the palace?" The Retired Emperor really didn't believe it. But if it was true, there might still be hope for this grandson - at least he had some spirit.