Her mood was bound to be sour; that was hardly surprising.
“Very well, since that’s the case, I will take Princess Yuanle to meet my master.”
The Emperor had already spoken to this extent; for him to refuse now would be beneath him.
Li Zhier slightly lifted her head to glance at Xu Ping’an, then quickly lowered it again, silently following behind him.
After Xu Ping’an took his leave from the Emperor and stepped out of Zhonghe Hall, the girl was already trailing after him.
“Princess, since you are of noble birth, you really shouldn’t walk alongside me. Let the sedan chair come over.”
“N-no need… I can manage.”
Li Zhier lifted her head with a somewhat stubborn look in her eyes, causing a sudden pang in Xu Ping’an’s heart.
Such a delicate little girl, yet possessing this kind of stubborn streak—it made one pay attention.
“Alright then, Princess Yuanle, please follow me to meet my master.”
A growing interest stirred in Xu Ping’an’s heart; he wanted to see if this pampered little princess was truly as headstrong as she appeared.
From Zhonghe Hall to the East Warm Pavilion wasn’t exactly far, but a half-hour’s walk was guaranteed.
Normally, these princesses of the harem were cared for as delicately as jade dolls, rarely taking more than a few steps at a time.
Half an hour on foot was nothing for an ordinary person, but for a pampered little princess like this, it was quite a long way.
The two walked one after the other, and those palace maids who had been following Li Zhier gradually disappeared without a trace.
By the time Xu Ping’an noticed this and tried to find a few maids, there was not a single one left.
Seeing this, Xu Ping’an immediately understood what was going on.
This old Emperor was dead set on giving this girl to him.
Not even bringing any palace maids along—this girl could hardly return to the palace on her own.
The East Warm Pavilion was not part of the harem, and from there, to reach her mother, the Princess Royal, at Xiliu Palace, one had to take a long detour.
If they were trying to force her away, this little girl’s feet would be ground raw on the journey back.
“Truly befitting of an Emperor—the mastery over human hearts is absolutely brilliant… even I was caught off guard.”
As a Hua Xia Modern Person with thousands of years of cultural background, he was now in an ancient era, yet had been outmaneuvered by an old Emperor.
It had to be admitted—knowledge was not the same as wisdom.
Although he possessed cognition far beyond this era, in matters of human nature and worldly affairs, he still could not compare to some of the era’s sharpest minds.
Yet Li Zhier remained silent, keeping her head low, tightly following Xu Ping’an.
“You weren’t curious when I mentioned your Imperial Father just now?” Xu Ping’an asked.
Li Zhier didn’t respond, only shaking her head.
“Why not?”
“Royal children naturally obey their Imperial Father’s arrangements.”
So it was. It seemed the little girl was not ignorant, but fully aware and had simply resigned herself.
Then again, how many women in this era truly had the freedom to choose?
“Your father has already given you to me. Now he’s even withdrawn your palace maids. It’s clear he doesn’t want you to go back.”
Li Zhier pursed her lips, holding back her grief, but her large eyes still brimmed with tears.
“As a child… as a daughter, one must consider their parents’ wishes. I understood this from a young age. I don’t blame my Imperial Father or Empress Mother. If you, Mister, despise me, then I… I will return and accept my fate.”
After speaking, she lowered her head like a sinner awaiting judgment.
Her shoulders trembled slightly; no sobs escaped her lips, but shimmering teardrops fell one by one onto the stone floor.
Seeing this, Xu Ping’an, already soft-hearted, could never send her away.
“What an Emperor, what a mastery of human nature.” This Emperor had seen right through him!
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared such a reckless move.
Their interaction was brief, barely a conversation, yet the Emperor saw through his character at a glance.
He knew Xu Ping’an wouldn’t chase the girl away, so he forcibly removed those around her.
“Well then… this year I’ve been struck by the Taohua Curse. With so many peach blossoms around me, one more won’t matter. You… will stay with me.”
Li Zhier nodded, wiping her tears away, swallowing her sorrow as she lowered her head and followed behind him, though her movements were somewhat stiff.
Looking at this little girl—both fragile and stubborn—he shook his head.
By the time they reached East Warm Pavilion, her toes were probably rubbed raw.
“Don’t move.”
Xu Ping’an gritted his teeth. Since he couldn’t bear it, he would simply prevent it from happening.
Wasn’t that why he had secluded himself before?
If he didn’t want this little girl’s feet ground raw, then he’d be blunt—he’d carry her all the way.
It wasn’t like it would cost him much effort.
With that thought, Xu Ping’an turned and swept Li Zhier up in a princess carry.
“Ah—!”
A thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl who had never had normal contact with a man was suddenly lifted off the ground, causing her to scream in surprise.
“Don’t shout. It wouldn’t look good if too many people saw.”
Only then did Li Zhier realize what had happened.
Her delicate face flushed deeply like a rosy dawn, and like an ostrich, she bowed her head, wishing she could bury her face in her chest and curl up in his embrace.
“M-Mister, this… this is improper…”
At last, the little girl was too shy to protest strongly, using a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.
“Enough with that useless talk. Your feet are already rubbed raw, aren’t they? It hurts, doesn’t it? If we keep walking like this, your feet might peel even more. Do you want to experience that?”
“Ah—no, please don’t…”
“Then just let me carry you. That way, it won’t be a problem.”
“B-but… it’s improper.”
“Then let your feet get raw.”
The little girl’s expression twisted as if her mind had exploded. Her eyes went blank, and she fell into a logical deadlock.
After a while, when she realized she couldn’t accept being carried by Xu Ping’an—she’d rather have her feet rot than lose her chastity—her eyes lifted again, meeting the plaque over the door.
East Warm Pavilion.
“We’re here.”
Xu Ping’an pushed open the door.
Li Zhier suddenly understood she’d been carried all the way from Zhonghe Hall to East Warm Pavilion!
How many guards, palace maids, and eunuchs must have seen this?!
Her recently cooled-down mind immediately overheated again.
She was dazed as Xu Ping’an carried her into the courtyard.
Only when Xu Ping’an called out, “Master,” did she come back to herself.
That was someone even her Imperial Father respected.
The Flowing Cloud Sect Master, Pei Qingxuan.
But… why did she feel this Sect Master’s gaze was so terrifying?
As if she wanted to devour people.
Fearful, Li Zhier instinctively shrank into what she thought was a safe chest, pressing closer.
The Sect Master’s eyes seemed to darken further.