Magic Emperor En

“Shuang’er, hope you don’t mind me calling you that.”

On their way to the Luo clan, Zhuo Fan and Yun Shuang were walking abreast. But he always had a vile and sinister smile each time he looked at the lass, like she was a super rare treasure. 

Yun Shuang shivered and tears welled in her eyes. The way she saw Zhuo Fan grinning was like a stranger being handed a candy, and it scared her out of her mind.

Zhuo Fan laughed, “Ha-ha-ha, miss Shuang’er, there’s no need to be scared. Your grandfather placed you in my care to help me complete my master plan. In fact, we’re on the same side. Once this is all over, you are free to go home. With how we little know about each other from the past few moments, you can still be sure of my character. Just stick with your’s truly and you’ll be going places. I will make a celebrity out of you. I will take very good care of you, he-he-he…”

He didn’t realize that all this boasting might have something to do with how this girl had the same character as Ning’er.

Yun Shuang broke out in giggles.

She kept looking at him for a while, before finally scrounging up some courage, “S-Steward Zhuo, grandfather warned me many times that you are a bad man and I am to lead you down the path of righteousness. But you don’t look so wicked to me.”

[Ha-ha-ha, that’s why I said you don’t know me!]

Shaking his head, Zhuo Fan laughed inside at the gullible lady.

Then, a sudden wind picked up and covered the two in yellow dust. Zhuo Fan cried, “Poison! Shuang’er, hold your breath!”

“Hi-hi-hi, useless. My poison can pierce even a Radiant Stage expert’s defenses!”

The creepy voice stabbed the two’s ears as the yellow dust grew thicker around them.

Zhuo Fan grimaced as he watched the world spin, [It’s a sedative…]

With a plop, he fell down, out cold.

“Steward Zhuo!”

Yun Shuang cried just as the yellow poison drifted towards her. She held on for a few seconds before blacking out just like Zhuo Fan.

Three men flew over. One was an elder with long yellow eyebrows drooping down the sides of his wrinkled face. A flick from him made the yellow dust go back into his sleeve.

They were mighty pleased with themselves seeing their quarry was out for the count.

“Ha-ha-ha, and here I thought the Best Steward Beneath Heavens was something to fear. One move from me and he fell all the same.” The yellow eyebrow elder laughed.

His cronies bowed in praise, “Ancestor Huang Mei, your poison is invincible. Not even Pill King Hall can match you.”(StarReader: Huang Mei= literally – yellow eyebrows)

“Humph, Pill King Hall is nothing compared to me! Thinking back to when Pill King Hall invited me to be their Venerable, we compared poisons but wasn’t it them who fell short each time? All they have for themselves is an empty name.”

The Ancestor mocked, “Second prince only wants Zhuo Fan. What do we do with her?”

“Ancestor, I heard Zhuo Fan always carries himself with pride and indifference and has few people he even cares about. For this girl to be walking next to him, it can only mean that she is one such person. Let’s take her as well. It might be for his Highness’s benefit! “

One of the men bowed and Ancestor Huang Mei nodded. He wrapped the two bodies on the ground in yellow dust and flew away. The other two rushed to catch up.

This easy win had gotten to their heads alright, or they would’ve noticed a shivering person not far from here having been witness to all of it.

A closer look would instantly place her as Princess Yongning’s attendant from the award ceremony.

“Oh god, this is huge! I have to tell the princess!” The child finally regained her wits after a long fifteen minutes, scampering for the Imperial Palace in panic.

In less than an hour, the panting child presented her badge to the gate guards, “I, I am the princess’ maid, let me in…”

Meanwhile, in the princess’ chambers, a fatty was wiping the overflowing sweat on his brow as he panted, “Yongning, come out. I’m dying here…”

The fatty shook the ground with his collapse, cursing still, “What the hell is wrong with this place? Why is it so big? For no one but the emperor to move in a palanquin is so unreasonable. That rule is clearly aimed at my poor self…”

“Then what are you doing dashing around the Imperial Palace? Why don’t you stick to your manor? Hi-hi-hi… “

A giggle came from beyond the doors. Princess Yongning came from inside in a cheerful mood. Fatty turned to look at his younger sister, “You think I want to run over to this blasted place? Regardless of its importance, imperial father always sends me on errands. While the elder brother handles files in the Imperial Palace and the second brother tends to the guards, patrolling with them each day. Only I, the accursed big boned, unloved by my father, gets sent outside whenever, wherever. I bet the farther he sends me the better he feels, wishing I won’t get back at all!”

“Sigh, the world can be so cruel to this poor plus sized man. Third brother, you must have lived a long and hard life.” Yongning caressed the big lug’s head, but the smile never left her face, on the verge of breaking the facade.

The fatty’s mouth twitched, flicking her hand away, “Stop patronizing me, sister. I came here on official business. It is father’s punishment for you for sneaking out!”

“He knows?!”

Yongning jerked and her face sank, “Third brother, how did father find out? Did you all tell on me? And you call yourself brothers!”

Rolling his eyes, the tubby sighed, “Yongning, I haven’t said a word. Running around the nation round the clock has me dead on my feet. I don’t even have time for anything else, much less report you. As for the elder brother, he’s toiling hard as well, pushing papers all day every day. When would he get the time off to tell on you? To say nothing of the second brother. You saw him growing up, how his only drive is elder brother. He’s not so bored as to give you trouble.”

“Then who told him my secret?” Princess Yongning frowned, “If I ever get my hands on that person, I’ll tear them to pieces!”

Fatty was watching her in a daze, then shook his head, “Yongning, you’re no angel either. Even if we didn’t know a thing, he’d still hear about it. Father is the emperor with countless spies under him. Aren’t you a bit delusional thinking you can hide your actions in the imperial capital?”

“You’re right. Thanks to your reminder, now I know it must be those rumored shadow guards. Creeping about like ghosts, some clingy maggots and pestering pests. Am I right?”

Yongning clapped and vowed, “They’re the ones. Who else could’ve known I sneaked out?”

The fatty gasped, then put on a bitter smile, “Yongning, are you sure you aren’t playing with half a deck? That little sneak of yours outside the gates was out in the open for all the houses to see. Why mention the shadow guards when everyone knew? Besides, the shadow guards are father’s secret force. No one knows who they really are. All that is known is their captain, the fourth pillar, Shadow King! Even the other pillars are cautious around him. Aren’t you perhaps having an overinflated idea of yourself thinking a big shot like him would set his eyes on the little old you?”

“What little old me? Aren’t I a princess?” Yongning threw a tantrum.

Fatty sighed, “Yongning, we’re getting nowhere. Might as well accept father’s punishment. Princess Yongning, receive the edict!”

“Yongning obeys. May His Majesty have a long and prosperous life!” Yongning fell to her knees, with utmost respect.

Fatty turned solemn as well, “By order of the emperor, Yongning has sneaked out of the palace and lost all semblance of propriety. You are hereby confined for one year, subjected to change depending upon your behavior!”

“A year?!” Yongning fell to the ground in shock, her face ashen.

A whole year stuck in the Imperial Palace, that was the heaviest blow she had ever received.

Fatty regarded the downcast princess in pain and was going to say a few words, but a child rushed over in panic, crying all the time, “Princess, something terrible has happened!”

“What happened? Why are you panicking?”

Yongning sighed, “What could be worse than being grounded for a year? And didn’t I tell you to invite Shuang’er to read me? Where is she?”

Gasping, she blurted, “Didn’t get the chance. Miss Shuang’er and Zhuo Fan were kidnapped.”

“What?” Yongning and fatty cried.

“I saw it with my own eyes, princess!” Lu Zhu vouched.

“Who did it?” The fatty frowned.

“I heard them mentioning the second prince!”

“What?” Fatty and Yongning jerked at once. Fatty’s face was whiter than paper.

“Second brother has really done it now. A prince engaging in kidnapping? And with the High Priest’s Holy Maiden and a house’ steward no less! Lu Zhu, you come with me. I am going to give him an earful, humph!”

Yongning scoffed, pulling Lu Zhu towards the emperor’s study. Lu Zhu merely bobbed her head and followed. While fatty ran out of the palace aghast.

“Third brother, where are you going? Shouldn’t we tell father?” Yongning shouted.

“It’s too late for that!” Fatty gnashed his teeth.

“Late?” Yongning was bewildered, “Since the second brother had them kidnapped they should be safe for the time being. “

“How can I rest easy? And I’m not worried for them, but for my second brother. Old second must’ve lost his mind to move against that savage. You can mess with the King of Hell, but god help you if you step on Steward Zhuo’s toes! That line said back in the Esoteric Debate wasn’t just for show!”

Fatty wiped his brow and his face was flushed. His blubberbutt actually moved with uncanny grace for once, gone like the wind.

Yongning figured the situation was far graver and rushed as well…