Chapter 26: A Man of Power and Influence (1/2)

Awu hurriedly got up to wash and dress, while the palace maids quickly helped her with her attire and hair.

Emperor Jingxi had not left but was sitting by the window, casually flipping through a book.

Awu glanced at him through the bronze mirror. 

The mirror was exquisite, reflecting everything clearly. 

She could see his long, jade-white fingers holding a Taoist scripture bound in purple sandalwood with a butterfly design.

Her gaze shifted upward. 

He slightly lowered his eyes, his thin lips pursed, making his nose appear even more straight and prominent.

Upon closer inspection, his facial features were truly impeccable and every detail was perfect.

She thought to herself, this emperor must have been a strikingly handsome youth. 

However, years of ruling and wielding imperial authority had overshadowed his natural beauty with an aura of majesty.

As she watched him, she found him increasingly fascinating. 

After all, he was the father of the crown prince.

She even began to imagine what it would have been like if she hadn’t been sent away. 

If she had stayed by the crown prince’s side, would she have witnessed him grow into the man before her?

Just as she was lost in thought, the man suddenly raised his eyes. 

Awu quickly averted her gaze, unsure if he had noticed her staring.

At that moment, he spoke, 

“The hairstyle doesn’t need to be too elaborate. Keep it simple.”

The maid beside her was taken aback. 

She had been styling Awu’s hair into an intricate updo, but upon hearing the emperor’s words, she had to start over.

Emperor Jingxi set down the scripture, walked over, and took the ivory comb from the maid.

Awu was surprised, “Huh?”

What was he doing?

The emperor gathered Awu’s hair in his long fingers, pondered for a moment, then swiftly tied it up with a ribbon and secured it with a hairpin. 

Awu was dumbfounded.

His slender fingers worked deftly, and her soft hair flew between them.

In mere moments, Awu found her black hair neatly tied up, adorned with a jade hairpin.

It looked a bit androgynous.

Emperor Jingxi took a step back, examined his work, and seemed quite satisfied. 

“How is it?”

Awu wanted to say it looked good, but it was her own head. 

She couldn’t bring herself to praise it insincerely, so she touched the bun and pouted, 

“You have quite the skill.”

The emperor, naturally, sensed her reluctance. 

He chuckled, 

“This is the most practical style. I think it looks good. Let’s go.”

Awu was reluctant but had no choice but to comply.

She followed Emperor Jingxi out of the villa and into a carriage adorned with gold and silver ornaments, hung with blue curtains. 

The carriage had large wheels, and the seats were cushioned with brocade and covered with sable fur, making it incredibly comfortable.

Awu lazily leaned against the emperor, looking around and touching everything.

Emperor Jingxi reclined in his seat, calmly reading the scripture by the light from the window, undisturbed by her antics.

Awu, curious, glanced at the scripture. 

It was titled “The Profound Truth of the Tao,” but she didn’t understand it and found it boring.

Even on an outing, he was reading scriptures!

She suddenly felt that he wasn’t as handsome as she had imagined. 

No matter how perfect his features, his heart was old.

Indeed, he was an old emperor.

A man who had fathered children could no longer be young and handsome.

She stopped looking at him, propped her chin on her hand, and gazed out the window. 

The late autumn scenery of Nanqiongzi was breathtaking— clear skies, lush trees, red fruits, and yellow leaves. 

It was a feast for the eyes.

Awu thought to herself, the royal gardens were truly extraordinary. 

Ordinary families might have a modest estate, but the emperor could claim vast mountains and forests, where he could roam freely without restraint.

As she was lost in thought, Emperor Jingxi asked from behind, 

“Can you ride a horse?”

Awu turned around and saw that he had put away the scripture.

However, at that moment, Awu felt that his eyes, after immersing himself in the scripture, exuded a sage-like aura, filled with ancient wisdom.

It was the kind of aura that commanded respect but kept people at a distance.

Awu sighed inwardly, tilted her head, and asked, 

“I’d like to, but what if I don’t know how?”

Her voice was soft, prompting a light chuckle from the emperor. 

“I can teach you.”

Awu asked cautiously, “Will I fall?”

The emperor raised an eyebrow and countered, 

“With me here, do you think I’d let you fall?”

A while later, Awu was still pondering the emperor’s words.

His deep, pleasant voice had made even such a simple statement seem laden with meaning.

For instance, it felt like a metaphor with such a man by her side, she would never have to fear.

Of course, she knew it was just her imagination, but she couldn’t help indulging in it.

As she was lost in thought, the sound of galloping hooves reached her ears. 

The sound was bold and unrestrained. 

Awu looked up.

Against the backdrop of the autumn sky, Emperor Jingxi, dressed in a crimson robe with arrow-shaped sleeves, rode towards her, his horse stepping on the fallen leaves.

The wind from the wetland lifted his robe, causing the hem to billow like clouds.

At that moment, this man was no longer just the 

“Father of the crown prince.” 

The sage-like aura had vanished, replaced by a spirited and dashing presence.

Awu’s heart raced, feeling as if it might be swept away by the wind.

He was still quite handsome, after all!

Sleeping with him a few more times wouldn’t be a loss!

Emperor Jingxi quickly approached, reined in his horse, and stood before the carriage. 

“Get down. Do you need someone to carry you?”

Awu cooed, 

“I do! Come and carry me!”

The emperor held the reins and said, 

“Get down yourself.”

He didn’t indulge her. 

Awu let out a soft huff but eventually got up and, with the help of a maid, descended from the carriage and approached the emperor’s horse.

She hadn’t noticed it in the carriage, but now, standing before the horse, the man seemed exceptionally tall and the horse immensely powerful. 

Its strong front legs and high neck exuded an intimidating presence.

Awu felt a bit scared, 

“It’s so tall!”

The emperor reached out his hand, 

“Come.”

Awu placed her hand in his. 

Just as she did, the man suddenly exerted force, wrapping his long arm around her waist.

Before she could react, her perspective abruptly shifted. 

In her panic, she instinctively grabbed onto something.

When everything settled, she found herself seated on the horse, held securely in the emperor’s embrace.

She clutched his robe, still nervous, 

“I won’t fall, will I?”

She had never ridden a horse before never in her life. 

It was so high up! 

And the horse was moving, its long neck swaying!

The emperor’s arm held her slender waist firmly, 

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.”

His deep voice was right by her ear, giving her a sense of security.

She leaned into his arm and tightly hugged it.

The emperor sighed, 

“Why are you so timid?”

Awu retorted, 

“You’re a grown man, older than me. I’m still young and delicate!”

The emperor chuckled, 

“Alright, you’re young, so you’re right.”

Awu deliberately let out a soft hum and wriggled in his embrace, acting coquettishly, like a kitten.

She thought the man would enjoy her acting this way.

Of course, she liked it too. 

After all, this man was powerful and willing to spoil her. 

A little coquetry could earn her favor and many rewards. 

Why not?

She lazily leaned against the man, riding with him on the same horse, followed by a group of mounted attendants.

Awu glanced around and guessed that these were the Dragon Guards in plain clothes.

As she looked around, she noticed that the area ahead was mostly wetlands with reeds, where wild geese and birds nested, and occasionally, deer and pheasants could be seen.

She asked curiously, 

“Where are we going?”

She knew that Nanqiongzi was vast, with numerous lakes and rivers, each offering different scenery.

Emperor Jingxi replied, 

“We’ll see the scenery ahead. If you’re interested, we can go hunting.”

Awu asked, 

“What kind of game is here? What can we hunt?”

The emperor said, 

“Whatever you want.”

As he spoke, he halted the horse and pointed with the whip, 

“See that? It’s called the Falcon Platform, where sea eagles dry their feathers. Over there

is where the Qiong people live.”

Awu, having never seen such things before, found them fascinating and craned her neck to look.

The emperor helped her dismount, and a guard brought over a group of sea eagles, about a dozen in total.

Awu examined them closely and noticed that these sea eagles were more robust than ordinary eagles, with smooth, full feathers and a more agile appearance. 

When they swooped down, they were remarkably swift.

Emperor Jingxi explained, 

“The late emperor disliked sea eagles, considering falconry and hunting as idle pastimes. However—”

He paused, then smiled, 

“However, the current emperor likes them, so he ordered the Liaodong tribe to present sea eagles. These dozen were carefully selected by the current emperor.”

At first, Awu didn’t catch on, but she soon realized that “the current emperor” referred to himself.

She felt amused and deliberately said, 

“The current emperor must be skilled in martial arts and hunting, truly a ruler unlike ordinary people.”

The emperor replied, 

“It’s nothing extraordinary.”

Awu found this even more amusing, thinking that he was quite modest. 

If it were her, she would have taken the opportunity to boast.

As they spoke, they encountered various birds and animals, some of which were quite rare, like elk, which were seldom seen outside.

The emperor led Awu to see them and even let her touch the elk’s antlers.

Awu noticed that the elk had a long, horse-like face but also antlers. 

She remarked, 

“They’re quite different from ordinary deer.”

The emperor explained, 

“They resemble deer but are not deer, resemble horses but are not horses, resemble cows but are not cows, and resemble donkeys but are not donkeys. That’s why they’re called ‘four not-likes.” 

“In the previous dynasty, elk could still be found in the wild, but they’ve become increasingly rare in this dynasty. The elk in Nanqiongzi were painstakingly gathered.”

Seeing Awu’s fascination as she petted the elk, he asked,