CH 20

However, the pain he was waiting for never came. Lan Wei suddenly opened his eyes.

When he did, what he saw was Ling Xiao’s squinted smiling eyes. Lan Wei stared blankly.

Ling Xiao threw aside the sword and got up.

“I just remembered that before being castrated, you still have to fast. Otherwise, it would be so painful that you’d be within an inch of your life. Back then, you knocked me unconscious and directly sent me to the purification room. You didn’t even think about this question. Although you are not benevolent, I can’t be unrighteous. Right, why don’t I wait for you to fast two days, then have you come again…”

After saying that, Ling Xiao very meaningfully glanced at Lan Wei’s lower body.

Lan Wei’s body went rigid he clenched his teeth and tossed his head to the side. His two legs clenched together, as if this could obstruct Ling Xiao’s gaze that harbored malicious intentions.

Upon seeing this, Ling Xiao cheerfully laughed and took Lan Wei’s sword before standing up, once again taking out a thumb sized thick rope to tightly tie up Lan Wei.

The extremely exhausted Ling Xiao got up and kicked Lan Wei under the bed with a single blow.

In the end, he squatted down and said some words, “Young Master Lan Wei, you best be obedient in there. If you make some kind of sound and are discovered by the maids and eunuchs, I will hand you over to the Emperor.”

“……” Lan Wei with his mouth blocked could only glare hatefully at Ling Xiao.

That night, Ling Xiao slept well. On the second day, he took out the list.

Twelve people. Two Elders, three maids, and seven eunuchs, two of which were stockers.

Aside from Elder Lin, this was the first time Ling Xiao knew of these twelve people, whether it was his past life or the current one.

It looked like all the informers he had found in his past life were Lan Wei’s. The Prime Minister’s household had hidden themselves quite deeply.

Lan Wei, in this life, had only recently started to plant informers, so he didn’t have many.

As a result, this was all the informers of the Prime Minister’s household? Just twelve people?

Ling Xiao thought it over.

It wasn’t really hard to imagine. After all, the current Emperor did not have many concubines. The ones that had anything to do with the Prime Minister’s household were nonexistent, so, in this kind of situation, the Prime Minister really didn’t need to plant too many informers.

The main difference concerned the Ministry of Appointment Official. Of the Ministry of Appoint Official’s informers, Ling Xiao had found seven. These seven were, for the most part, all around the Ministry of Appointment Official’s daughter, Concubine Ran.

In Ling Xiao’s memories, of the three imperial concubines of the harem, only Concubine Li did not have anyone to rely on in this country as she was Gaoran Country’s princess.

The head of the three concubines, Concubine Xian, didn’t have any family background, so she also did not have many informers.

The informers over on Concubine Ran’s side should be the most numerous, but Concubine Ran’s nature was simple and willful. What she hated the most was having someone looking after her. In his past lifetime, the Ministry of Appointments Official would repeatedly arrange people to take care of her, and she had kicked them all back. As a result, there weren’t many informers arranged by her side.

Ling Xiao thought a bit, then, using his memories of his past life, he added in a few more people. These people were scattered throughout all the other concubine’s palaces, meant to find out the Emperor’s likes through any means.

After making a copy of this list, there was a total of twenty-one people. Taking this list, Ling Xiao fixed his clothes and prepared to go see the Emperor.

Since it had already been several days, it was about time that he show his face before the Emperor. Otherwise, he might really be forgotten by the Emperor. If that happened, then he really would have lost too much.

It was somewhere between 3-5 PM right now, and the Emperor was in the Imperial Study handling government affairs.

When Ling Xiao arrived at the Imperial Study, Xiao Lizi was waiting outside. Ling Xiao felt that it was somewhat strange. Wasn’t the Emperor used to someone grinding the ink for him when he was handling government affairs? If Xiao Lizi was at the doorway, then who was grinding ink for the Emperor?

Xiao Lizi saw Ling Xiao in a glance and ran with small quick steps before him as he saluted.

Ling Xiao nodded, had him get up, and straightforwardly asked, “Who is serving the Emperor right now?”

Xiao Lizi lowered his head and answered, “There is no one.”

Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow, “The Emperor’s in the room by himself?”

Xiao Lizi answered, “Yes, Steward. Since you left, the Emperor has always been alone in the room handling government affairs. Only when he needs something does he call the servants.”

Ling Xiao raised his eyebrows. It looked like this Emperor had been pampered by his serving and wasn’t able to get used to others attending him. This was a good situation. Ling Xiao smiled.

Seeing that Xiao Lizi was still by his side, waiting on him, Ling Xiao cleared his throat and said, “Xiao Lizi, I need to see the Emperor. Go notify him.”

“Yes.” Xiao Lizi replied and ran back to the entrance with small quick steps, knocking on the door.

After getting a reply from within, he respectfully entered the study.

Not long after, he walked out of the room. Seeing this, Ling Xiao walked over and tidied up his clothes. The corner of his lips curved as he walked forward, planning to follow Xiao Lizi into the room.

However, Xiao Lizi stood in front and blocked him, lowering his head and shaking it.

Ling Xiao stared blankly, a frown on his face as he astoundedly asked, “The Emperor isn’t willing to see me?”

Xiao Lizi saluted. Ling Xiao asked in disbelief, “Did you tell the Emperor that I was coming to report to him about the matter he told me to investigate?”

Xiao Lizi replied, “This servant told him, but the Emperor said he was busy with government affairs today, and asked Steward to come back another day.”

“……”

Ling Xiao went silent, what was this Emperor trying to do?

Didn’t the Emperor say to seek an audience with him when he was done investigating? Why was he refusing to see him now?

Or perhaps the Emperor was still angry?

Ling Xiao licked his lips and thought a bit, then turned back to look at Xiao Lizi. He pursed his lips and said, “Alright, then I will come back tomorrow. You need to serve the Emperor well, Xiao Lizi.”

“Please take care, Steward.” Xiao Lizi saluted and sent Ling Xiao off.

However, the next two days that Ling Xiao went to pay a visit to the Emperor, the Emperor would use the same excuse to not see Ling Xiao.

Ling Xiao frowned, feeling as if he was in a crisis.

This Emperor really was trying to give him a harsh lesson in order to remind him to not get spoiled by favor.

Ling Xiao sighed, he had originally thought that after provoking the Emperor and losing favor, he would leave for two-three days and bring back a list to establish meritorious service. He had thought that with his service, it would all be solved.

Looked like it wasn’t that easy. The Emperor simply wouldn’t see him!

Was it that he wanted him to express his loyalty? To express that he knew his mistakes!

However, how would he express it?

Ling Xiao thought about it and came to a sudden realization. He promptly ran back to his own room and called those five informers of Lan Wei, taking them with him to see the Emperor.

Back then, he hadn’t brought these five in front of the Emperor and, instead, had privately protected them.

This was why the Emperor was angry and gave Ling Xiao the cold shoulder.

However, it also presented Ling Xiao with an opportunity.

Ling Xiao always thought that this opportunity was for him to find the informers within the palace and obtain credit for meritorious service. However, there was actually one other opportunity.

The Emperor wanted Ling Xiao to bring the five he had privately let off before him.

Although the Emperor gave the right of handling these people to Ling Xiao, he never said he wasn’t going to see them.

These people were the ones Ling Xiao had privately let off, so the Emperor gave him an opportunity to personally bring them in front of the Emperor.

Sure enough, after Ling Xiao brought the five people to kneel in front of the Imperial Study, the Emperor finally come out.