Detective Ghost Empress

” You are being abnormally silent,” Liu Hui Ying told him as they descended from the carriage. She was the first one to come down the stairs of the carriage which was why she was looking over her shoulders at Zhai Tianyu who was coming down the carriage after her. ” Your majesty, is there something that you want to ask me?”

There were multiple things that he wanted to ask Liu Hui Ying but he decided to keep his thoughts to himself first. There was no need for him to ask Liu Hui Ying why his heart was beating so hard just because he looked at her face, what was more she was the same woman whom he had tried to kill, even though she was not the same woman, it was still rude of him to say something like ‘ My heart beats crazily for you,’ after everything that they have gone through.

And more importantly, he needed to understand his feelings first because he had a lot of responsibilities and there was also Ji Yu. He could not wrong her and what if he was feeling towards Liu Hui Ying was simple admiration that was getting to the point of infatuation? He couldn’t say that he was someone who would fall for a woman but at the same time, he was not someone who could never fall for any woman, which was why he needed to make sure of everything.

Only then he can make a move lest he ends up hurting two women at the same time.

More importantly, he raised his head and looked at Liu Hui Ying whose face was illuminated by the glittering moonlight. She was from the Liu family, he has to see whether or not she was worth messing up his plans, the ones he has been set on making come true for years.

There was also what his aunt has told him before she passed on ——’ there was more to a person than you can see,’ he understood that she was warning him against Ji Yu and at the same time against the Ji family because he has always been trustful of them because of his grandmother and Ji Yu who were his only supporters when his mother hated his very existence.

“It’s nothing,” he replied to her trying to calm his heartbeat that was going at a pace a bit too fast. ” I just have a lot to think and nothing more.”

Liu Hui Ying did not say anything, she wasn’t caring about the men around her from the beginning especially the man whom she knew who only came into her life for a short while. She turned around and headed towards the small cliff where Zhai Tianyu entertained his officials, the pavilion that was gloomy and dark the last time when she came on the cliff while chasing the orb was now lit up with lamps that were blazing quite hard because of the winds that were blowing at the top of the cliff.

.....

“It’s a fascinating place,” she commented as she looked around the pavilion and walked inside the wooden platform with no windows and only a long table with small, clean stools and cushions on top of them. Two maids were waiting to serve them which was why Liu Hui Ying lowered her voice as she spoke such that her voice would sound like that of a man. ” Your majesty,” she quickly added when she saw that the maids were turning to look at her with confusion in their eyes.

” Leave us alone,” Zhai Tianyu saw that the maids were looking at Liu Hui Ying questioningly, he did not want to spend his time with her while she has to care about her formalities with him which was why he sent the maids away.

The maids looked at each other, they were surprised that the emperor was sending them away without letting them serve him and the official with whom he came but they still nodded and bowed their heads before taking their leave. They were properly taught by the head maid of this palace that they needed to listen to every order and command of the Emperor no matter what kind of order he gave them, which was why they didn’t even dare to think about the reason why they were being sent away.

Once Liu Hui Ying saw that the two maids were gone, she heaved a sigh of relief and then relaxed on her small stool which was only a few inches above the ground making her feel like she was sitting on a flying cushion. Her body went pliant against the table as she whined in an annoyed voice, ” The rules here are so strict, you can’t even breathe without muttering ‘your majesty’ every next second.” She turned to look at Zhai Tianyu while her head was lying on the floor and then she asked in a questioning tone, ” Why are you even called your majesty and not by your name? Are you that proud of being born with a silver spoon in your mouth, your esteemed majesty?”

” More than being proud, its a matter of regulation and order,” Zhai Tianyu calmly responded, when Liu Hui Ying showed him a confused look, he sighed and then said, “Let’s say that if we were two friends would you have listened to me if I told you that you were in the wrong and you need to be punished?”

” Of course not,” Liu Hui Ying chuckled. ” I would have never done that I would have fought with you.”

“That’s right,” Zhai Tianyu picked up the jar of wine in front of him and poured a generous amount of wine into his own cup before pushing the jar in front of Liu Hui Ying. ” Take the authority of the emperor away from him and no one will listen to anything that I say, the laws will be in a mess but as long as I remind them that I am above them and that I can punish them for their crimes they will be scared of me. It’s not me being proud of my birth but a reminder of the authority that my title holds.”

He paused and then smiled in mockery. ” Take my authority away and I will be nothing.”

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