199: Throne and Journey

"What, you can't control Kong Jiamu?"

Inside the extended limousine, The Emperor seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps asking the air.

They were on their way back to the palace.

Tu Nan felt The Emperor was purely taking his anger out on her... He, as The Emperor, couldn't even control that peacock, yet now he expected her to?

But she couldn't speak to protest, so she could only frantically lash The Emperor's arm with her tail... only for it to be caught by him.

Tu Nan struggled for a moment, but seeing his cold eyes and obvious foul mood... she had no choice but to sacrifice her tail and swallow her resentment.

It wasn't appropriate to act cute to The Emperor in front of the Children.

Until they returned to the palace, The Emperor was surrounded by a low-pressure aura.

Yet when getting out of the car, he still scooped Tu Nan into his arms. Without waiting for those behind him to catch up, he strode forward with his long legs.

Yuan Zhe, who was on duty at the palace today, bowed and stepped forward with a smile.

"Your Majesty, you've returned."

"You asked me to remind you that a secret meeting must be held today..."

He looked at the black cat in The Emperor's arms and the Children hurrying behind them, then asked with a smile.

"Shall we proceed now... or in an hour?"

Tu Nan's tail was suddenly gripped tightly, as if a predator had locked onto a vital spot.

"Ah!"

She let out a small cry of pain from the shock.

Looking up, she met a pair of eyes so gloomy they seemed ready to swallow everything. In the next second, the grip loosened.

The Two Children were just running up to them.

"Mama?"

Two tiger ears popped out from Miao Miao's head, twitching as she looked around for her mother.

"Was that Mama's voice?" she asked, tugging at Ao Ao's sleeve.

Ao Ao was stunned for a moment. He slowly looked up at the black cat in His Majesty's arms, his little brow furrowed in confusion.

Why did he feel like the voice came from the Emperor Teacher's arms... "Oh dear, these clothes must be uncomfortable. Quickly, take them back to change."

Yuan Zhe waved to the maids behind him. Two maids stepped forward submissively and took the Children's hands. After bowing to His Majesty, they withdrew.

Tu Nan looked at Yuan Zhe, feeling that he was slightly different today.

"Ah... that meeting."

The Emperor looked at Yuan Zhe, who stood before him with a lowered head. He tilted his head slightly and suddenly gave a cold smile.

"Then... in an hour." He walked toward the palace chambers.

***

"Everyone out."

As soon as he entered, The Emperor ordered everyone out of the room.

Placing Tu Nan casually on the Throne, he began to take off his elaborate ceremonial attire.

He unbuttoned the two rows of buttons with great impatience. After a few tries, he violently tore open the ones that wouldn't unfasten.

That was the Throne. Aside from The Emperor, no living creature should ever be on it.

Just as Tu Nan was about to jump down, she was mocked by The Emperor.

"Afraid?"

He looked down at her from above.

"What's there to be afraid of? Even I can sit here."

He tossed his belt aside. The Emperor smirked, moved the cat to one side of the Throne, and leaned back on the other side himself, his robe wide open.

"I'm afraid of dying, Your Majesty."

Tu Nan looked at him sideways.

The Emperor scoffed, picked up the cat, and placed her on his lap, offering a half-hearted comfort: "Fine, then you sit here."

This wasn't any better, Tu Nan grumbled inwardly.

But at least... it wasn't considered a transgression?

"The perfume you're making for me, is it done yet? Bring it for me to see," The Emperor asked... Tu Nan looked up wordlessly.

Although he had said that communications within the palace were monitored, wasn't it a bit too much to expose it so blatantly and ask her to her face?

"It's still a semi-finished product, Your Majesty."

Over the past few nights, she had tried many formulas, and it was only last night that a prototype had finally taken shape.

She had grasped a shadow of that contradiction—that sense of being both generous and lonely... but it was indeed hard to reconcile. The sense of conflict was still too strong; as a perfume, it wasn't harmonious enough.

"Give it to me," The Emperor demanded willfully.

Seeing that The Emperor himself didn't care about the perfume's imperfections, why not take the opportunity to settle this matter? Tu Nan thought.

After all, a tribute was meant to please The Emperor. As long as he was satisfied, it was fine.

"Then I'll go back and get it." Tu Nan tried to get up from his lap.

The Emperor pressed his palm down on her head and called out to the outside: "Someone come in."

An attendant silently pushed open the door.

"Go to the Autumn Courtyard and fetch something." He asked Tu Nan, "Where is it?"

"On the shelf by the window in the study. There's a small bottle standing alone, and next to it is a Snow Fragrance Flower."

"Go fetch it."

The Emperor gave the order, and the person withdrew.

There was a moment of silence between them.

The Emperor's hand wasn't idle; he was stroking Tu Nan's whiskers.

It tickled.

Was His Majesty's meeting very important?

He unusually seemed a bit irritable and... restless. Tu Nan thought.

"Kong Jiamu..." The Emperor suddenly mentioned. Tu Nan grew nervous. Don't vent your dissatisfaction with Kong Jiamu on me!

But The Emperor spoke of another topic related to Kong Jiamu.

"Speed up the progress, do you hear me?" he actually ordered.

"I'll have him go to your place during the day recently. You hurry up."

The Emperor's hand repeatedly ran through Tu Nan's dense, soft fur.

"Since I spoke today, he is bound to go to the Sixth Legion."

The Emperor's mood suddenly improved a bit.

"I want to see the Children sooner," he said.

Tu Nan remained expressionless.

Your Majesty, she wanted to say, she had never said that close contact could make the Children be born sooner.

The stronger the child, the later they would be born. This was the reproductive law of you beastmen.

You seem to have forgotten it completely.

Less than an hour later, before the meeting began, Tu Nan was shooed out of the palace by The Emperor.

As for whether His Majesty was satisfied with that semi-finished perfume, she had no way of knowing.

***

From the next day on, Kong Jiamu indeed entered the palace in high spirits.

Facing numerous teases, he didn't panic at all. Bearing the royal order, he stood guard at Tu Nan's office again.

As soon as the door closed, he lost all decorum. A man of his size just draped himself over Tu Nan.

"You're so heartless, baby. You really didn't come to see me~" The peacock whimpered.

Tu Nan pushed him away with a headache.

The peacock was starting to show childish tendencies, acting spoiled and cute at will. He gradually opened up in front of Tu Nan, showing no concern for his image as an idol.

"I went," Tu Nan sighed. "I just wasn't in the family and friends section."

"Really?" The peacock believed her instantly. "Then why didn't you tell me? You made me sad all day!"

He gently pinched Tu Nan's cheeks with both hands, complaining.

"Look at all the trouble you caused at the scene... How could I let you know?"

"Hahaha." The peacock laughed loudly.

"Your Majesty said I couldn't propose, and I can't disobey a royal order, right?" He winked mischievously at Tu Nan. "Now that I didn't propose, he shouldn't be Life Qi with me."

"Your Majesty is already Life Qi, you birdbrain!"

Tu Nan was truly exhausted. An Emperor is an Emperor; how could he be so reckless with him?

But she realized with a start that her own attitude toward The Emperor... was only so respectful.

Kong Jiamu suddenly became gentle.

He stood up straight, studied Tu Nan for a long while, and then said to her.

"I'm going to the front lines. You heard His Majesty say it too."

Tu Nan nodded slowly. Yes, Your Majesty also said for you to hurry up and get lost.

"I'm glad His Majesty is willing to put me in an important position." He smiled with a sharp edge in his eyes. "I never wanted to stay on the Capital Star, nor did I want to retire in the First Legion. Finally..."

"Yesterday I suddenly thought, it was actually good that you weren't in the family section. If you were, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from actually proposing to you. But now."

He gave a short laugh.

"I've sobered up."

"I'm a soldier, about to head to the front lines."

"Tu Nan... I don't want you to be a widow again."

He spoke of a heavy topic with a relaxed expression.

Tu Nan knew he was referring to the identity she had told him during their first encounter on the Hongtu.

"Maybe I'm not suited for marriage, Tu Nan." He paused, carefully considering the words he was about to say.

"But I think, having someone who can make me have no regrets on the battlefield, or rather, someone I keep missing."

"That would be quite good."

"Can you be that person?"

Kong Jiamu was waiting for an answer.

This was even heavier than a proposal, Tu Nan thought.

For someone like Kong Jiamu, all worldly standards were not as real as his inner feelings.

Tu Nan placed her hand in his palm, letting their fingers interlace.

She responded to Kong Jiamu seriously.

"No one will forget you, and neither will I."

No one could ever forget such a vibrant person.

Tu Nan led him toward the room they had become familiar with recently.

"You should always be a proud peacock."

Tu Nan stared at him. Those eyes that had once rushed out from a circle of flames, reflecting intense firelight, now held a sharp, cold glint of a blade about to be lit by the fires of war.