The Emperor Chases His Wife

Chapter XXIII

CHAPTER XXIII: Liuyun's......Friend?

"Did you play chest with the Great Merchant?" Liuyun had played go with the Merchant once and he could recognized some of the moves.

With a confident voice, Nian admitted where she learned. "I didn't play with the Merchant. I learned from watching him play with some of the other caravan owners when they stopped by the manor a few times."

Liuyun chuckled lightly. The girl was actually quite smart. He looked at here through demonically alluring eyes and took another sip from his tea cup. "Girl, what if I helped you get rid of the Venomous Seal?"

Liuyun's pair of penetrating eyes purposefully watched Nian and enither of them spoke for a long time.

After a while, Nian opened her mouth then closed it. She didn't know what to say. She obviously wanted to get rid of the seal but at what cost. Prince Li was unpredictable. He could demand payment from her and at the moment she didn't have anything expect the gold from the Emperor, and even that might not be enough to compensate the tyrannical prince.

Regretfully she shook her head. "No it's fine."

Liuyun was sipping on tea the same moment she spoke and if it weren't for his noble upbringing, he would have spat it out. Instead he hastily swallowed in at looked at her in surprise.

She didn't want to be cured of the poison.

"Girl, are you crazy? This king is offering you a chance to practice martial arts." A complicated emotion flashed within Liuyun's grey orbs. He closely watched Nian, seemly afraid to miss any trace of emotion on her face.

"So what?" Nian's expression had become cautious when she replied. Why was Prince Li so keen on helping her remove the seal? Did he want to use her as a tool?

She was aware of how lucky she was but she also knew that a man with a lowly treasure was innocent while a man with a coveted treasure was in danger.

Liuyun playfully squeezed her cheeks. "Girl, this king is the last person you need to be worried about. Why would this king want to harm you? This king is already a god in his own way."

To Liuyun, Nian's cheeks were tender and really feel good in his hand. To Nian, Liuyun was a nuisance and she swatted his hand away.

Liuyun may have been arrogant but Nian could see the truth in his devilish eyes. He was a tri-elemental mage while she might only possess one elemental. She may have a unique bone structure but Liuyun was someone who had secrets of his own.

Tri-elemental mages were rare and not many had the ability to control three elements. If Liuyun was able to do it, it meant that he did have some extraordinary qualities.

She still looked at him warily as she continued. "Hypothetically, if I wanted to get rid of the seal, what would I need?"

"A 3,000 year old Illusion Weed and the fire meridian from a Green Fire Deer." Liuyun's gentle voice was also tinted with a hint of roguish charm. He indulgently reclined back on the grass like an idling Lord.

Where was she going to find such ingredients?

"The 3,000 year old weed isn't a problem but the Green Fire Deer is in Kulun Ridge." Liuyun went on.

Nian frowned. Kulun Ridge was not that close. It was a round trip, even if all went well and things were planned properly, it would still take a month to complete.

If Nian was to suddenly disappear now, there was no telling that would happen in the manor. She tried to escape not too long ago and she didn't want to stir up any more trouble. Qing could be dragged into trouble this time and that was anything but reassuring.

She had to think of a way, to secretly disappear for a period of time.

Liuyun sat back up and saw the wheel turning in her head through her crafty emerald orbs.

He knew she was smart, she'd figure it out. Meanwhile, he had planned a scheme of his own. While they were in their own word, a soft voice came from somewhere in the garden. "Li gege! Che gege!"

Nian raised an eyebrow. Che suddenly appeared from thin air with a slightly panicked expression on his face. Liuyun's face was full of amusement as he casually continued sipping on his tea.

"Shouldn't you be looking for a place to hide?" Che questioned impatiently. "It won't take long before she finds out."

"Who sister is she? This king's or yours?" Liuyun's lips twitched in a smile.

Nian couldn't hold back her laugh. "There's actually someone in this world that can make Prince Li want to hide?"

Che softly groaned in annoyance and turned to Nian. "You'll know in a moment."

A twelve or thirteen year old girl came running into the garden with bright eyes. Her hair was wildly flying in the wind and she had lifted her dress a little so that she could move her legs more.

Her name was Zing Mei and she was Che's younger sister. When Mei arrived, she excitedly went to Liuyun's side. Before she could touch him, Che pulled her back. Liuyun may like Mei but the fact still remained, Liuyun hated to be touched.

Mei spoke in like the world's most unspeakable crime had been commited. "Li gege, why didn't me to the tea house with you?"

Liuyun sipped his tea indifferently, "Are you still a three year-old?"

Mei pouted, "Li gege, why are you being so mean? Hm? What's in this cup? I've never seen it before."

Che smiled proudly. "This is the milk and orange tea that Liuyun ordered from the Western Region."

"Really? I want to try too." Mei reached her hand out to grab Liuyun's cup.

But she could get her hand on the cup, a streak of purple lightening came from Liuyun's fingers and the delicate cup chattered into pieces.

Nian was startled. She knew Liuyun hated to be touched and it seemed like he hated people using the same things he used. He'd shattered the cup without flinching and casually flicked the pieces away and the drops of tea with a light breeze before they fell on him.

Tears welled up in Mei's brown eyes and she tightly grabbed the edges of her clothes she stood frozen in front of the expressionless Liuyun, unable to speak. How could her big brother be so mean to her?

Liuyun's devilish eyes turned in her direction with a dark look in them and in a cold voice he spoke to her. "You want to return to the manor now?"

Hearing this and seeing Liuyun's expression, Mei became frightened. She frantically shook her head. "I don't. I just came out. Father told me to tell Che it was getting late. I'm sorry, I won't bother you anymore."

Raising her head, she noticed Nian sitting for the first time. A happy look appeared on her face. "Miss, you're really pretty. Who are you? How come you're just as pretty as Li gege?"

Che shook his head with a laugh and quickly explained. "That's Shanghai Nian. She's uh...Liuyun's...uhm friend?"

Che was a bit unsure of Liuyun's relationship with Nian so he said the words uncertainly and took a cautious step back. Liuyun frowned at the word but he didn't correct it.

Nian on the other hand seemed to confirm Che's words and she smiled at Mei. "It's nice to meet you."

Mei's eyes lit up. "Really? You're Li gege's friend? Wow. That's right, what are you drinking? I want to drink it too."

Nian realized the girl was quite smart. She had upset Liuyun before with her curiosity but in order to get what she wanted, she'd changed the topic. Nian took up another tea cup and poured Mei a glass.

She offered it to the little girl who took an eager sip before endlessly chattering away to Che. "It's delicious. Che gege, can you make more. I have to go to the palace tomorrow with some of the prince's fiancées and other noble ladies to meet the Empress. I want to bring some for others to try too."

And just like this, Liuyun's tea was about to become a spectacle in the palace.

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Mei = may

gege - big brother