Chapter 331 - TugBoat to the Dark Side (1/2)
”And what is this reason?” The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.
Monk Du nodded and looked up at the Emperor, ”It was the great spectacle of your wedding with your Empress that convinced my Master...Although at that time, neither I nor my master knew that the celestial miracle of that day was tied to your ceremony.”
The Emperor knit his brows and did not say anything in response, Monk Du took his silence as a cue for him to continue, ”That event moved my Master, he immediately into deep thought and recalled that I had once spoken of a certain Empress dowager with dark energy emanating from her. His interest was finally piqued and it was even more so when I informed him of the tale of spreading around about this event, the one about you and your Empress being celestial beings...” He finished with a knowing look in his eyes.
The Emperor lightly scoffed and steered the conversation away from his fabricated tale with an inquisitive question, ”If his interest is so piqued, can you afford not to deliver then?” The Emperor asked, now feeling more certain that this Monk was simply bluffing. His reluctance to leave was a clear indicator that he could not simply walk away as he did before.
Monk Du blinked and then raised his eyebrows and indignantly responded, ”My Master understands the importance of my promise… He will stand by me in my decision.”
”My mother also understands the importance of not giving room to enemies of the state to operate... So she will also stand by my decision.” The Emperor said and continued on with a calm smile, ”It appears we're at an impasse. I bear no grudges against you so you may leave in peace.”
Eunuch Li frowned, but he remained silent. Normally, if it were on any other issue, the Empress dowager would naturally agree and praise the Emperor's decision right now. After all, she was clearly the type to hold grudges and see them through... But as she was now, if she heard that the Emperor did this, she would be upset and see it as an affront against her, especially because it had to do with this ”Empress” whose very existence she seemed to loathe. She would definitely explode, the Emperor had to know this.
Moreover, no matter what ill she had done to him, the Empress dowager was still his mother. This issue concerned her health, it was not something for him to dismiss for the sake of petty revenge - the Emperor should also know this. Eunuch Li wanted to believe that the Emperor was working some kind of angle here, but he could not help thinking that he really meant for the Monk leave. It was no longer a farfetched notion that the Emperor would truly dismiss the dowager for the sake of this Empress of his.
It could not be risked, if this Monk left now they may never locate him again, so Eunuch Li had to intercede. He turned to the Emperor, cupped his hands and bowed, ”Your majesty, please reconsider...”
The Emperor ignored Eunuch Li and kept his calm eyes on Monk Du, who was looking up at him with a steady gaze. Eunuch Li glanced at Monk Du, frowned and repeated, ”Your majesty, please reconsider this...” He pleaded, looking up at the Emperor, trying to pass on a message with his eyes but the Emperor was still not looking at him.
Monk Du knit his brows, he had simply been bluffing hoping to make a benefit through this service that he was going to be rendering. He could not just leave as he said, he had never seen his Master agitated about anything before. It was important that the Empress dowager be taken to Taohua temple, his Master's orders were clear. But he could not just leave the fate of the twins hanging in the air either.
Eunuch Li frowned at the Emperor and was about to open his mouth again, but Monk Du beat him to it with a simple, yet shocking question, ”If not for your mother's sake, then how about for yours?”
The Emperor raised an eyebrow, slightly amused as he went, ”Mine?”
Monk Du let out a slight breath and nodded. He had noticed this as soon as the Emperor walked in but he did not plan to mention it. After all, it was not his business and he would rather not poke an unfamiliar sleeping dragon. But since the situation was already like this, he thought it was worth a try and so he went ahead and hoped for the best, ”Yes, yours. Although it's to a lesser degree, I sense the same dark energy your mother possesses in you now...”
Eunuch Li immediately worriedly swept his glance over the Emperor, looking for anything amiss. While the Emperor blinked at Monk Du and then laughed, ”... Do I seem like a child to you?” He asked, all traces of humor gone from his face in an instant.
Monk Du knit his brows, ”I know it is hard to believe and might seem like a desperate falsehood but I speak the truth. The fact that I am seeking a pardon for the siblings does not mean that we cannot do without it. After all, we have managed to evade capture this long... But life on the run is no way to live... Moreover, even if I may lie to others, I will dare to lie to you for fear of retribution.” He said bowing his head in deference.