Chapter 244: "My father is unruly, Uncle Wang, please forgive him.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty~~"

SLAP!

Mu Yunlian appeared and naturally claimed the Dragon Bed as his own. He had only gone to his own quarters to take a bath before making a beeline for His Majesty’s room.

Demanding kisses, climbing into bed—it was all one smooth, seamless motion.

As long as he was comfortable and willing, Xiao Yang was very indulgent of him, but Mu Yunlian’s moans were far too unrestrained.

He couldn’t help but slap him, signaling him to show a little restraint. However, he didn’t know where the slap landed. Mu Yunlian’s body stiffened for a moment, then he suddenly increased his force, unleashing a tempestuous storm.

By a small stream, Li Wei sat in the shadows on high ground. He lifted a wine jar, tilted his head back, and chugged half of it.

PLOP.

An empty wine jar rolled from his feet and fell into the pool of water below.

He had been drinking for quite a while. Seven or eight empty wine jars lay at his feet.

He hadn’t gone back, but he knew His Majesty must be with Mu Yunlian right now, and everything they were doing was surely even more wanton than what he had done.

’I don’t think I’m greedy,’ he thought. ’As long as His Majesty is willing to let me guard him, I’d be content with that for a lifetime.’

But now, he was about to go mad with jealousy.

Jealous that they could receive His Majesty’s favor so completely. Jealous that they could demand the Emperor’s affection so openly and justifiably.

The night wind blew in through his open lapels, and the places where he had been wounded throbbed with a dull ache.

The scars on his body were his only source of insecurity, but His Majesty didn’t mind them and was willing to accept him. With that, he had no more reservations.

He was the Great General. His looks were not lacking, his family background and status were second to none, and when it came to martial arts, he had few rivals in the world. Being humble before His Majesty was one thing, but he would not be timid in front of others.

As long as His Majesty did not appoint an Imperial Consort, their statuses were all the same.

’And if His Majesty’s Imperial Consort could be one of them, why couldn’t it be me?’

At this thought, Li Wei fiercely took another swig of wine, his fighting spirit surging.

Just then, the faint sound of ripples in the water reached him.

Li Wei looked over. A figure in white floated toward him through the water, slowly swimming to a rock just below before suddenly breaking the surface.

Her white clothes were thin, clinging to her body where they were wet, revealing a graceful and delicate figure. It was a woman.

She stood in the water, pushed back her hair, and tilted her head up, "coincidentally" spotting Li Wei sitting on the high ground.

She feigned immense shyness. "General Li, what are you doing here?"

She clutched her chest in alarm and turned as if to leave. But even after she had walked out of the water, she still heard no movement from behind her. Turning her head, she saw Li Wei was still sitting there, but his gaze was not on her. Instead, he was looking at the pool.

’What’s so interesting about the pool?’

Just then, two more jars fell from above.

’He’s drunk a lot. Could he be intoxicated?’

The woman stood in place for a moment, then boldly began to climb up.

Reaching the second rock, she looked up at Li Wei. "General, why are you drinking here all alone? Is something troubling you?"

Li Wei drained the last drop of wine from the jar. The next moment, it cracked in his hand with a SNAP.

"You’ve sullied this place."

Li Wei spoke, his voice icy. "I do not kill the innocent. I hope, for your sake, that you are."

After speaking, Li Wei stood up. With a single leap, he landed smoothly from a height of twenty feet and strode away.

Before the woman could react, two guards appeared, drew their swords, and seized her.

"What are you doing? What are you doing?!"

Finally, the day of the autumn hunt arrived, and all the officials from the Capital City had gathered.

As soon as Prince Jing arrived, he sidled up to the Emperor and feigned a complaint. "What kind of emperor is as playful as you? And you didn’t even bring your uncle along. How heartless."

Xiao Yang, lounging informally in his chair, swung his legs. "Was the tiger meat tasty? I hear you also used the tiger bones to steep two large jars of wine."

Prince Jing cleared his throat. "Many thanks for Your Majesty’s reward."

He glanced at Li Wei, his admiration undisguised. "As expected of General Li. Killing a tiger with his bare hands—truly valiant."

Li Wei immediately replied politely, "You flatter me, Your Highness."

Prince Jing had once given him guidance when he was lost, and he was also the elder His Majesty trusted and felt closest to. Li Wei’s respect and gratitude toward him were exceptionally sincere.

Prince Jing keenly sensed something was different, mainly because Li Wei’s eyes actually held a hint of a smile.

His gaze flickered between Li Wei and the Emperor a couple of times. ’Ahem, looks like there’s some hope for this matter.’

Just as he was feeling smug, Rong Yin’s voice, like that of a malevolent ghost, sounded from behind him. "What are you so happy about, Brother?"

The hair on the back of Prince Jing’s neck stood up. "..."

’Dammit, speak of the devil.’

’Scaring people like that could give someone a heart attack!’

’That damn Rong Yin.’

"This Prince just suddenly recalled your childhood, how you used to obediently follow the late Emperor, calling out ’Brother, Brother.’ You were so gentle and refined back then. Who knew that when you grew up... heh, you’d be so deceptively wicked..."

’Bring it on, let’s hurt each other!’

’I’ve got His Majesty backing me up, I’m not afraid of this gloomy ghoul.’

’He’s always trying to scare these old bones of mine. Let’s see how he likes it when I poke him where it hurts.’

Sure enough, this topic was Rong Yin’s sorest spot. Prince Jing had hit the mark, and Rong Yin instantly fell silent.

Xiao Lv grabbed his father and pulled him aside slightly. "Dad, it looks like there’s a problem with your horse. You should go check on it."

The dark aura around the Regent King had almost solidified, making him look like a malevolent ghost that had crawled back from the Yellow Springs Road, his resentment soaring to the heavens.

’His dad is in danger!’

Having stirred up trouble, Prince Jing immediately made a run for it. He was out of there!

Xiao Lv pressed a hand to his forehead and bowed slightly. "My father is mischievous. Please forgive him, Uncle Wang."

Hearing this, Xiao Yang genuinely laughed.

Prince Jing had been ruthless, but Xiao Lv didn’t let Rong Yin off the hook either.

Rong Yin was of the same generation as the late Emperor and was Prince Jing’s cousin. Yet now, he was in love with the current Emperor. The generational gap was his biggest trigger; it was an explosive topic. And this father-son duo just kept stomping on it repeatedly. They were simply infuriating.

As Xiao Lv left, he shot Xiao Yang a look that said: ’Your Majesty, go comfort him! Quick!’

Xiao Yang’s eyelid twitched. ’My dear cousin has learned some bad habits!’

Xiao Yang caught sight of Rong Yin’s grim expression and was about to say something when an official suddenly rushed forward, his voice shrill with desperation. "I beg Your Majesty to save me!"

Hearing that piercing cry, Xiao Yang completely forgot what he was going to say to Rong Yin.

Two guards intercepted the man. Restrained by them, he immediately dropped to his knees on the spot. "Your Majesty, General Li had my young daughter kidnapped! I beg Your Majesty to save her!"

Li Wei, who had just walked over, paused for a step, then calmly walked before His Majesty. "Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject merely had someone take that young lady to ask her some questions. It was not a kidnapping. She has already been sent back."

Li Wei was known to act with propriety, so Xiao Yang didn’t press the matter. He raised his hand to have the official released. However, the official was relentless, shouting angrily without regard for the occasion, "Li Wei, don’t think you can use your power to oppress the weak!"

He pleaded, "Your Majesty, my daughter was only playing in the stream when she unexpectedly encountered a drunken General Li! He acted improperly while intoxicated, and then, to cover up his crime, he kidnapped my daughter! I beg Your Majesty to seek justice for her!"