"Did you know that there are dozens of maids in the Qinghe Palace? I didn't even know there was such a humble woman with a vicious tongue. There are several maids prettier than her. I usually dote on them, but I didn't expect..."
No one wants to follow Lu Wuxian, who is under house arrest for treason.
There is only one exception.
"...It's really terrible. She is not cute at all, and she often talks with a knife. She pretends to take care of my daily life, but she doesn't even help me put on clothes, and orders me to tidy up the garden and clean..."
Lu Wuxian held his head and complained angrily, and Lu Fusu laughed softly.
"Even so, she is still willing to come here with you!"
"She said she was helpless and it would be difficult to find a new owner."
"……Yeah?"
As long as you have served as a maid in the palace, no matter how inconspicuous you are, you can still work for a wealthy family.
In fact, many of the maids in the Qinghe Palace went to the homes of nobles and high-ranking officials.
Lian Mei came in carrying a tray with tea utensils. Seeing that there was nothing on the table, she turned to Lu Wuxian and said, "Where are the snacks?"
"how could I know."
"Then I won't help you pour tea."
"Oh! It's really lawless!"
"No need to get snacks, tea is enough."
Lu Fusu smiled bitterly and shook his head.
As Lu Wuxian said, this maid is really not cute. Although she is very respectful in her gestures, she is not flattering at all and always has a cold expression on her face.
"You can pour a cup for Lu Wuxian too! If the master doesn't have tea in front of him, I, the guest, will be too embarrassed to drink it."
"According to the decree."
"...Why do you want to obey his orders?"
Lu Wuxian muttered and complained, but Lian Mei ignored him and poured tea into his cup.
"Jiang Lianzhu, there are no other maids here except you. Don't you find life inconvenient?"
"The house here is not very big. Your Highness has finally learned how to garden and clean. I only need to be responsible for cooking, washing and mending clothes."
"It's so inconvenient. In addition to asking me to tidy up the garden and clean the house, she also wants me to do laundry."
"It's your own fault that you're too busy to worry."
"..."
Lu Fusu laughed and took turns looking at Lu Wuxian and Lian Mei.
"Your relationship is so good, so wonderful."
"Where's the best place?"
"I feel relieved."
"..."
Lu Wuxian, who was slumped weakly on the bench, sat up straight and looked at Lu Fusu with probing eyes.
"I ask again...what are you doing here?"
"Come and see for yourself if there are any bad flies around you."
"..."
Lu Wuxian glared at Lu Fusu and stood up.
"You have taken everything away, and now what are you talking about?... You know better than anyone else how many butterflies were around me before. There were so many beautiful butterflies surrounding me, but you..."
"Lu Wuxian...those are poisonous moths."
"Shut up!"
Lu Wuxian pounced on Lu Fusu.
Lu Fusu kicked the chair away, pushed Lu Wuxian's hand away, hooked his legs, and pushed Lu Wuxian to the ground.
Lu Wuxian groaned on the ground and was about to curse, when Lian Mei knelt down beside him, grabbed Lu Fusu's hand, kowtowed to him and said, "Your Majesty, I apologize for your rudeness. Please show mercy."
"..."
Lu Fusu immediately let go.
Lian Mei helped Lu Wuxian, who was coughing repeatedly, and silently stroked his back.
Lu Wuxian gasped for breath. When his breathing calmed down, he lowered his head and said softly, "I know...I know those are moths."
"..."
Lu Wuxian seemed to have no intention of getting up, and Lu Fusu sat down next to him without saying a word.
"I know...no, I thought the person next to me was a butterfly at first, and I believed it...but that woman didn't believe me."
"...are you talking about Cao Baoji?"
Lu Wuxian nodded slightly.
Lian Mei quietly put her hand on his shoulder.
"My swordsmanship is not as good as yours. However, my archery skills will never be inferior to yours. When hunting, no matter how fast a rabbit or a stag runs, I can still hit it. So, when you sit down
It would be easy for me to shoot you when you're not moving."
Lu Fusu looked at Lu Wuxian's face in sudden realization.
"Could it be...you were the one who shot the arrow last time?"
After the late emperor's last banquet, Lu Fusu was invited by the minister to attend a banquet. Cao Baoji and several other aristocratic daughters also attended. The minister planned to let Lu Fusu choose a candidate for the queen, but Lu Fusu did not want to marry the aristocratic daughter as his wife at all.
Shui Xinyuan, who didn't want to perform a dance at the banquet, stayed in that place for a long time, just sitting there absentmindedly. Suddenly, Cao Baoji pushed him away, and an arrow shot deeply into the chair where he was sitting a moment ago.
.
Although he immediately noticed that Cao Baoji was acting suspiciously, he did not catch the person who shot the arrow.
He never expected that it would be Lu Wuxian himself who shot an arrow to kill him.
"... I said I could definitely hit you, and I really did. Because my arrow did hit the chair you were sitting on, but that woman didn't believe it... She didn't believe my archery skills and was worried that I would never
What if the shot misses and hits her sitting next to you... She said that instead of taking such a big risk, she might as well poison you to death..."
Cao Baoji would rather kill someone herself than risk her own life.
Lu Wuxian’s clenched fists were trembling.
"If Cao Baoji believed in your archery skills, I would die under your arrows..."
"yes!"
Lu Wuxian slowly raised his head, showing a stiff smile.
"At that time... I was destined to lose... From the moment that woman didn't want to believe me... I... lost to you..."
"..."
Who did Lu Wuxian see with his empty eyes?
Lian Mei silently helped Lu Wuxian stand up. Lu Wuxian stood up obediently and sat on the bench again.
Lu Fusu also picked up the chair that had fallen on the ground, placed it next to the bench and sat down.
"...I never feel like I have defeated you."
After Lu Fusu took a sip of the cold tea, he whispered: "The reason why I am called the prince is because I am the eldest son. The reason why people around me think that I am the prince is based on the convention of the eldest son inheriting the throne and my qualifications.
It doesn't matter at all, it's determined by the order of birth."
"..."
"To be honest, I envy you. Because everyone takes it for granted that the eldest son should inherit the throne, so maybe I am envious of so many people who strongly want you to become the emperor!"
"...Are you making fun of me?"
Lu Wuxian put one hand on the armrest of the bench, cupping his cheek, and looked at Lu Fusu with an unhappy expression.
"The people who want me to be the emperor are all greedy guys, even my biological mother, and it has nothing to do with my qualifications. I have been instilled in me since I was a child that I want to be an emperor when I grow up, but I have never been like this.
Just like you, learn how to be an emperor."
"Haven't you learned?"
"I hate reading."
Lu Wuxian said bluntly, Lu Fusu's eyes widened, and then he laughed.
"Then it would be better for me to inherit the throne. At least I will try my best to make my own qualities consistent with my position."
"Only a brainless person like you can read."
"...So, I sent people to bring you books to pass the time, but you didn't even read them?"
"That kind of thing has long since turned into ashes in the furnace."
Lu Wuxian said proudly, and Lian Mei looked down at his master coldly and said, "I picked up all those books."
"Didn't it burn?"
"I thought you were tired of fishing and would like to read some books."
"Hey... don't mind your own business! Even if I start studying now, what will it do?"
"You can realize how stupid you are, and you can also become more humble."
"You must first learn to be humble yourself!"
...It seems that there is no need to worry about Lu Wuxian.
"Lu Wuxian."
Lu Fusu took out a letter from his arms.
"Looking at how you look now, it should be okay to leave it to you... take it!"
"what?"
"Concubine Chen...a letter written by your mother to you."
"..."
"Concubine Chen is currently staying with the governor of Yinzhou. Although she made a fuss at the beginning, she has finally calmed down recently. She said she wanted to write to you, and I agreed."
"I do not want to look."
Lu Wuxian turned his head to the side.
"She is also a poisonous moth. She just wants to use her son to enjoy glory and wealth."
"...But I believe she also wants to be proud of her son."
Lu Fusu thrust the letter into Lu Wuxian's hand.
"I have checked the contents of the letters. They are all concerned about your health. If you want to write a reply, you can tell the guards at any time. If you want to write to other people, I will also tell them to handle it properly."
"..."
Lu Wuxian bit his lip and lowered his head.
Lu Fusu stood up and nodded to Lian Mei.
"Your tea art is good."
"Is Your Majesty going back to the palace?"
"I'm going to visit various places, so I came to visit Lu Wuxian before departure."
Lu Wuxian raised his eyes and looked at Lu Fusu.
"Are you leaving the capital?"
"I have to leave for a while."
"...Aren't you afraid that I will replace you during this period?"
Lu Wuxian curled his lips, and Lu Fusu just smiled.
"Fortunately, there are no flies around you. There is a smart butterfly taking care of you. I don't have to worry about you anymore."
"To be overly reassured is to be careless."
"Don't worry. After seeing you today, I think you are worthy of trust, so I decided to believe you."
Lu Wuxian's eyes widened and his mouth opened wide.
"Are you stupid?"
"yes!"
Lu Fusu smiled bitterly and opened the door.
"However, I have always hoped to trust you."
"..."
Lu Fusu walked out of the room and walked up the stairs to the garden. Lian Mei chased after him.
"Thank you for your visit, Your Majesty."
"..."
Lian Mei wanted to kowtow, but Lu Fusu stopped her.
"I came too late...because I know he hates me, so I don't have the guts to come here, but I am very glad to have come today. I feel relieved to know that you are taking care of him. Although it is very hard to be alone, please be patient
Take care of Lu Wuxian."
"..."
Lian Mei pursed her lips slightly and looked like she was smiling.
"For me... this has always been a dream."
"dream?"
"I am inconspicuous among the many maids... It would be the same with or without me. If this incident had not happened, His Highness Lu Wuxian would never have noticed my existence."
"..."
"So, this dream is a sin... If I had known it would be realized in this way, I would never have had this dream."
There was a hint of regret in her unchanging expression.
It is impossible to have dreams in this world that are sins.
"Then I will punish you too..."
Lu Fusu quietly said to Sister Lian: "I will not allow Lu Wuxian to change maids, so no matter what happens in the future, you are not allowed to leave Lu Wuxian... Even if Lu Wuxian leaves here one day, you must accompany him."
By Lu Wuxian’s side.”
"..."
Lian Mei looked up blankly at Lu Fusu, who nodded seriously.
"Jiang Lianmei, what's your answer?"
"Yes...yes, obey...obey the order."
"Okay... you go in! I'm leaving."
Lu Fusu nodded to Lian Mei who was kneeling on the ground, then turned and left.
"...Is he gone?"
After Lian Mei returned to the room, Lu Wuxian held the letter from his mother and leaned on the back of the bench with an unhappy look on his face.
Lian Mei arranged the tea utensils and said in her usual flat voice: "The Emperor allows you to write a letter, please just write a few words!"
"To whom?"
"Write to your mother, or someone you think is important."
"..."
Lu Wuxian dropped the letter on the table.
"Now that I think about it... maybe there is no one who really feels important at all."
"..."
"Although I felt it was very important at that time..."
Lu Wuxian muttered to himself. Lian Mei stopped what she was doing and glanced at Lu Wuxian.
"No matter what you think afterwards, if it feels important at that moment, then it is real..."
"What's wrong with you? It's rare to have a kind word!"
"I'm not saying anything nice, but I'm not going to lie or flatter you either."
"Then are you comforting me?"
Lu Wuxian smiled loudly with an expression that looked like he was giving up on himself, but also a little tired.
Lian Mei looked at Lu Wuxian quietly, then looked away and started to clean up again.
"...I won't comfort you during the day."
"Oh, that's right."
"I'll make tea again."
Lian Mei took the tray and was about to leave. Lu Wuxian said to her, "How long do you want to stay here?"
When Lian Mei turned around, Lu Wuxian turned to look at the window.
"You are not a sinner. If you want to leave, you can leave at any time... It's about time you started to miss life outside, right?"
"...Yes! If I want to leave, I can leave at any time."
Lu Wuxian turned his face slightly.
"Unlike you, I am not allowed to leave here even half a step. If something happens, I can go out and come back freely, but there is nothing that needs to go out recently."
"That was not what I meant……"
"For me, there is not much difference between Qinghe Hall and Ranshui Pavilion."
Lian Mei showed her usual indifferent expression.
"If you want a cute and obedient maid, next time your royal brother comes to your door, please make your request directly to him."
"Are you kidding? I won't ask him for help! As long as you can be more submissive... Hey, I haven't finished speaking yet!"
Lian Mei ignored Lu Wuxian's yelling and left quickly, sighing alone.
...I just hope you are healthy and safe.
Even if he thinks he's unlovable, even if he thinks he's annoying, it doesn't matter, because instead of watching him sink, it's better to scold him all day long.
Is the tea brewed yet? Lu Wuxian started yelling again.
Lian Mei smiled faintly and slowly began to make tea.