Chapter 119: Let's see who will drive away with this carriage
Liu Ti醤 Q� forcefully retained her diminishing calm and peace. The Emperor and Liu Ti醤 Q� stared at each other for a heartbeat or two before Liu Ti醤 Q� calmly bowed. She apologized for her inattention and greeted the Emperor.
There was a stillness in the air. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they awaited the response of the Emperor.
Liu Ti醤 Q� was so angry with herself inwardly. She didn`t mean to allow herself to fall into a deep meditation. She only meant to calm her nerves. She really wanted to kick herself for being so stupid. Liu Ti醤 Q� held her deep bow and waited for the petty cunning Emperor to tell her to rise.
The Emperor was already annoyed with her. She hoped her actions didn`t make him really angry. She really didn`t do it on purpose.
However, the Emperor`s anger was already calmed under the peace he saw in Liu Ti醤 Q�`s eyes. It also helped to calm his anger when he saw the Liu Ti醤 Q� didn`t deliberately slighted or disrespect him but really seemed to be temporarily lost in another world.
Sweat pour off of the Housekeeper, Butler, and Zhou Y�. They were frightened out of their wits. Even the poor Doctor felt pressured, and he was just a bystander. The doctor felt so wronged. `I`m no longer in the palace, and I am already this old. How did I end up on the side that angered the Emperor. I thought I already left those days behind me.` The Doctor inwardly wailed.
Jkn ZhMng X+n, Mng Tin C醝, W-i Y襫g Mng and the Lord and Lady of Wang Royal Manor stared at Liu Ti醤 Q� as though they had seen a ghost. Jkn ZhMng X+n, Mng Tin C醝, and W-i Y襫g Mng clearly knew the temperament of their friend. The Grand Prince knew his younger brother better than anyone present. Lady W� Gng Hu also knew and understood the Emperor very well. They all clearly saw and felt the Emperor`s anger a few seconds ago.
However, all Liu Ti醤 Q� did was open her eyes, apologized, and greeted the Emperor. That was all she did, and just like that, the Emperor`s anger abated. Never had they witness anything like this. Whenever the Emperor got angry, it always took him a bit of time to calm down. Even after he calmed down, he`ll become sulky.
Unfortunately, all the attention was on Liu Ti醤 Q� and the Emperor. No one paid any attention to Wang F鑞 Y襫g. Had anyone looked over at Wang F鑞 Y襫g they would have seen a faint smirk on his face. Earlier, Wang F鑞 Y襫g was a bit upset with his Imperial Uncle. Now he looked at him with eyes full of amusement.
He understood just how the Emperor felt because Liu Ti醤 Q� had once looked at him with those same eyes of peace and calm. Liu Ti醤 Q� seemed so mysterious to Wang F鑞 Y襫g. Every time Wang F鑞 Y襫g thought he had Liu Ti醤 Q� all figured out. Liu Ti醤 Q� would then do something that threw all of Wang F鑞 Y襫g`s preconceived notions out the window. It made Wang F鑞 Y襫g wonder who Liu Ti醤 Q� was in her first life.
W-i W� Y鄋`s eyes almost popped out of his head. His eyes kept bouncing back and forth between the Emperor and Liu Ti醤 Q� as if he was watching an intense tennis match. Jiang T鄆 P韓g watched Liu Ti醤 Q� with an indescribable look in his eyes. All the various warriors watched the show between the Emperor and the Young boy with an expressionless look on their faces. However, not all of them were as calm and indifferent as they looked.
"You may rise," the Emperor finally said. As Liu Ti醤 Q� rose the Emperor closely watched and observed Liu Ti醤 Q�. The Emperor was genuinely perplexed on how such peace and calm could be found in one so young.
The Emperor felt some of the unease in him toward Liu Ti醤 Q� vanish. This strange Young Lord appeared out of nowhere. His identity had yet to be verified, however, to strike a deal with the Young Lord. The Emperor had granted the Young Lord military might.
The Emperor had yet to be informed of Liu Ti醤 Q�`s identity, so he still thought Liu Ti醤 Q� to be a bastard child of the Liu Family.
The Emperor had felt a bit unease with Liu Ti醤 Q�. However, upon meeting Liu Ti醤 Q�, the Emperor thought on his Imperial grandfather`s opinion of Liu Ti醤 Q� and found his Imperial grandfather to be extremely wise.
The Young Lord did not have the eyes of a person with wild ambition. Nor did a troublemaker have eyes filled with such peace. The Emperor discerned a strange, inexplicable knowledge and understanding in the Young Lord`s eyes and agreed with his Imperial Grandfather that these were not the eyes of a child.
Although the Emperor was no longer angry with the Young Lord. He still felt a sense of displeasure with the daring Young Lord. With a neutral look on his face, the Emperor questioned Liu Ti醤 Q�, "Inattention, you say?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Please forgiven me. I unintentionally fell into a slight meditation." Liu Ti醤 Q� answered outwardly in a calm manner.
Inwardly Liu Ti醤 Q� screamed, `Dude, you`re really going to stand here and nitpick with me!? Ah?! You`re lucky this isn`t the 21st century. If it were, I would`ve given you one good punch in the face and just pay the settlement money! Why are you being so petty?! It`s not that serious!`
The Emperor looked at Liu Ti醤 Q� with a raised eyebrow, "You knew I was en route to your residence. How is it you still found time to meditate pending my arrival?"The author`s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Liu Ti醤 Q� decide not to pull the tiger by the tail this time. So Liu Ti醤 Q� met the Emperor`s eyes and asked? "Do Your Majesty want platitudes or the truth?"
Carefully watching the Emperor`s eyes, Liu Ti醤 Q� inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw humor enter the Emperor`s eyes.
The Emperor`s second eyebrow joined the first eyebrow, "What if I say I want to hear platitudes."
Liu Ti醤 Q� bowed then said, "Then I would tell Your Majesty that I was heavily contemplating on your generosity and loyalty to the returning martial families. Word reached me that your majesty ran all the way from your palace to hurridly welcome and greet the returning families." Liu Ti醤 Q� said with blatant unhidden false flattery and faint mockery.
Continuing her obviously fake bootlicking, Liu Ti醤 Q� said, "It touched my heart so deeply. I begin meditating on what I could do to assist the Emperor in his endeavors. My meditation was so heavy I failed to notice the arrival of Your Majesty. Your Majesty, I ask once again that you forgive me for my inattention." to add a little cream on the cake, Liu Ti醤 Q� even performed a full ceremonial kowtow.
Liu Ti醤 Q� had promised that she wouldn`t pull the Emperor`s tail. However, this couldn`t be blamed on her since the Emperor is the one who told her to do it.
Liu Ti醤 Q� inwardly shook her head and complained to Butler Zhou in her head as she kowtowed, `Uncle Zhou I was being good this time so this can`t be blamed on me. The Emperor is the one who told me to give him platitudes. I only obeyed the command of the Emperor. So don`t blame me, this is not my fault!`
The Grand Prince could no longer control himself at Liu Ti醤 Q� obvious and blatantly false flattery and bootlicking. The Grand Prince burst into laughter. Jkn ZhMng X+n, Mng Tin C醝, W-i Y襫g Mng, and Jiang T鄆 P韓g looked at the bold Young Lord in disbelief, shock, and deep amusement. They couldn`t decide if they wanted to laugh or remain in deep shock. This was a big eye-opener to them. With just this much, they had learned much about this Young Lord.
Poor W-i W� Y鄋, his eyes remained bulging out of his head for so long they were dry and started to hurt. Yet his shock wouldn`t let them return to normal. He couldn`t believe that the Young Lord, who he looked down on this morning, had the courage to talk to the Emperor like this.
Although Wang F鑞 Y襫g face remained cold and unapproachable, his eyes shined in deep amusement. His mother, Lady W� Gng Hu, tried unsuccessfully to hide her laughter behind coughing. The various warriors watching the show dared not laugh. They hid their amusement and continue avidly watching the show between the Emperor and Young Master Liu.
When Liu Ti醤 Q� rose from her kowtow and look at the grin on the Emperor`s face, her poor heart almost faltered. The grin on the Emperor`s face wasn`t a good kind of grin. The only thing that popped into Liu Ti醤 Q�`s mind when she saw the grin on the Emperor`s face as he looked down at her was `Shit I`m going to get screwed! This smiling face tiger is about to screw me over!`
She didn`t know what the Emperor was going to do, but she knew that `I`m going to screw you` grin on his face quite well. She wore it quite often, right before she screwed an opponent over in her previous life.
Liu Ti醤 Q� heart sank when the smiling Emperor underhandedly said, "Young Master Liu, I can see that you really do have the country in your heart. I hear you designed the carriage I rode in earlier and had it custom made. I can foresee where this newly designed carriage that you worked hard on will bring about a good change in the Tolling Lands."
`Look it here at this shameless petty Emperor! He`s really going to try to commandeer my carriage?! I haven`t even got a chance to test drive it yet!` Liu Ti醤 Q� tried to act like she didn`t understand what was going on.
Waving away the Emperor`s false praise, Liu Ti醤 Q� said, "Your Majesty, I dare not. Honestly, I selfishly designed it only to cater to my comfort. I am just glad that Your Majesty didn`t scold me for being ostentatious."
The Emperor`s smile only grew as he thought inwardly, `Indeed this is Young Master Liu. However, this time, that cunning tongue of yours will not help you. Since you displeased me, the punishment will be your carriage. You dare to call me ostentatious, huh? Let`s see who will drive away with this carriage.`
"Ostentatious? Young Master Liu, this carriage cannot be called that. Not even I have a carriage as good as the carriage that Young Master Liu has. Although you can`t tell from the outside, many people can fit inside comfortably. The carriage is generously cushioned, yet the cushion doesn`t feel like it`s trying to swallow you whole." The Emperor ignored the snickering of his newly returned friends behind him.
Jkn ZhMng X+n, Mng Tin C醝, W-i W� Y鄋, and W-i Y襫g Mng couldn`t help snickering as they watched the Emperor of the Tolling Lands bully the daring Young Lord out of his carriage.
The Emperor also ignored the deep belly laughter of his older brother, who couldn`t seem to stop laughing.
"Aiya Imperial Brother, this will help even the score I think you won this round." The Grand Prince laughed. Although no one else understood this inside joke between the Emperor and his Older Brother. The Emperor understood. So did Lady W� Gng Hu and Wang F鑞 Y襫g. This caused Lady W� Gng Hu to burst in laughter. Wang F鑞 Y襫g threw a censuring look at his Imperial Uncle.
The Emperor ignored his Older Brother and continued speaking, "However, the most important part is that the carriage ride in the carriage you designed is probably 70% smoother than any carriage ride I ever had. How can this be called ostentatious? I think your design can further help advance the transportation technology of the Tolling Lands." Liu Ti醤 Q� felt so wronged. She lost her carriage to a petty black-bellied Emperor. How could she argue to keep her carriage when the Emperor shamelessly said she has something, not even he owned? `Aiya, my carriage!` Liu Ti醤 Q� inwardly wailed.
Liu Ti醤 Q� was so pissed. She didn`t realize she was openly glaring at the Emperor. However, instead of getting mad, the more gloomy Liu Ti醤 Q� got, the more happy and joyful the Emperor got. The Emperor was like a bucket of sunshine shining brighter than the sun. People no longer made a pretense of hiding their laughter. Deep laughter rang in the air from the people watching the show. The show was just too funny. Even Liu Ti醤 Q�`s butler and housekeeper could no longer hold back their mirth.
When Liu Ti醤 Q� finally realized she was glaring at the Emperor. Immediate, her face and eyes became expressionless. All the peace that was in her heart had already flown away, and Liu Ti醤 Q� was pissed off.
However, outwardly, she calmly said, "Since the Emperor has such high praise for the carriage and like it. Then Your Majesty, please accept this small little gift from me."