Chapter 430: Chapter 426: Dawn to Dusk—Empress Side Story (Part 5)

Returning late, Tang Xiaobai felt quite embarrassed and took the initiative to explain, “I went to my sister’s Le You Manor—”

Before she could finish speaking, His Majesty the Emperor replied with a “hmm.”

Without raising his head, his pen moved even faster.

Tang Xiaobai blinked and leaned on the stack of memorials that had already been reviewed, watching him, “You knew?”

Li Mu said nothing, his pen flying over the page.

Tang Xiaobai smiled and craned her neck to see the memorial he was reviewing.

Li Mu usually used very concise wording in his reviews, but who knows which lucky official’s memorial this one was; he had scribbled on it half the night without stopping, even obscuring the original text.

Perhaps Tang Xiaobai’s gaze had some effect, as His Majesty the Emperor finally ceased his lengthy commentary and quickly put down his pen.

Picking up the memorial, intending to place it on the finished stack, he saw the Empress was holding that stack with both hands, lazily resting her chin on top of it, her small face slightly tilted, eyes twinkling as she looked at him.

Li Mu paused, then casually tossed the newly reviewed one to the other side.

The other side was unreviewed memorials.

“Why are they mixed together?” Tang Xiaobai giggled, stretched out her hand to grab the newly reviewed one across him, placed it at the top of her pile, neatly aligned the corners, and then rested her chin on it, smiling at His Majesty the Emperor.

Li Mu watched her silently for a moment, his eyes seemed to struggle briefly, then he turned aside and picked up a new memorial.

“Why haven’t you finished reviewing memorials today? What time did you return?” The girl’s voice was soft and lazy, seemingly a bit tired.

Li Mu paused his pen, glanced at her, “Seven quarters past noon.”

Eh?

Tang Xiaobai was puzzled.

How is it earlier than usual?

“The Imperial Guard reported that you visited the Forbidden Garden.”

“So you returned to the palace early?”

Li Mu said nothing.

He worried she was angry and hurried back, only to find his Empress had not returned to the palace at all! Moreover, she was so engrossed that she forgot to return until it was dark!

Thinking of this, Li Mu couldn’t help but let out a cold snort.

Tang Xiaobai wanted to laugh hearing this, “So you were so upset that you didn’t review memorials all afternoon?”

Li Mu glanced at her again.

That look…

Tang Xiaobai analyzed it, surprised, “You went to Le You Garden?”

His Majesty the Emperor remained silent.

He truly went?

Tang Xiaobai suddenly thought of a problem.

Knowing His Majesty the Emperor’s personality, if he went, he wouldn’t just pass by without entering—

“You entered?! How come no one reported it?!”

Li Mu still remained silent.

Silence is acquiescence!

“You sneaked in?! Did you see it?!” Tang Xiaobai lunged at him, clutching his collar, demanding fiercely.

Li Mu sensed the tension and finally spoke, “Saw a bit—”

“Saw a bit!” Empress Tang exploded, “You must think I played terribly, saw a bit and couldn’t stand to watch anymore!”

Li Mu quickly corrected himself, “Actually, I saw it all!”

“Saw it all! You actually saw it all!”

Tang Xiaobai covered her face, suppressing a scream.

It was her first time playing ball!!!

She was so clumsy today!!!

He saw it all!!!

Li Mu, seeing her seemingly devastated state, felt a bit uneasy, “Ah Jiao, actually—”

“Don’t say a word!” She jumped up, wiped her face.

The despair wiped away, leaving a solemn expression, “No need to say anything!”

She picked up a memorial and opened it, throwing it in front of him, then guiding his head back towards the memorial.

“Focus on reviewing memorials! National affairs are of utmost importance!” Straightening herself, she weakly rubbed her temple, “I’m tired, I’ll go back to rest quietly…”

Li Mu watched her leaving silhouette, then looked down at the memorial, suddenly feeling an ominous premonition…

…

Li Mu’s premonition was correct.

That night, the Empress seemed tired from playing, went to bed early, and didn’t say much to him.

But the next day upon waking, she made a decision to announce to him, “Starting today, every afternoon I’ll go to my sister’s Le You Manor, you—you mustn’t come to spy anymore!”

Li Mu, naturally, refused.

But Tang Xiaobai argued confidently, “You wouldn’t let me watch, and I didn’t complain, so why can’t you do the same?”

With those words, His Majesty the Emperor was trapped and couldn’t find any reason to oppose.

Thus, from mid-March, every day towards the end of the afternoon, the Emperor and Empress both left the palace, one to the south and one to the north, each to seek happiness.

This state only lasted for a month.

In the first year of Zhengyuan, mid-April, the Tibetan Delegation arrived in the Capital City.

…

“They actually brought the Kicking Hand team, too bad there’s no women’s team…” Tang Xiaobai yawned with disappointment, holding the crown symbolizing imperial power.

In front of her, Li Mu had just changed into his court attire, looking up at her.

She hadn’t changed clothes yet, just casually draped something over her nightwear.

Her hair was loosely tied, lazily scattered as if the sleepiness hadn’t worn off.

Seeing Li Mu looking at her, she came over holding a crown.

Li Mu took the opportunity to pull her entirely into his embrace, lowering his head to deeply inhale the scent of her hair.

A faint and delicate fragrance wafted through his nostrils, invigorating him.

As if he were some specter that feeds on human vitality, always needing to draw something from her to sustain his own life.

It had been this way since six years ago.

Tang Xiaobai struggled a bit to break free from his embrace, managing to raise the crown she was holding.

Li Mu cooperatively bent down, allowing her to place the crown on his head.

The twelve strands of pearls hung down lightly swaying between them, rendering her earnest expression as she adjusted the crown dreamlike.

“Even though there’s no women’s team, I can still take you onto the field,” Li Mu said.

Tang Xiaobai gave him a sidelong glance: “Who needs you to take them!” Then added, “You’re the Emperor, you can’t casually step onto the field either!”

She couldn’t be the only one sitting high in the stands feeling bored!

Li Mu smiled slightly: “Alright, I won’t step onto the field.”

The Empress then showed a satisfied expression.

…

The Tibetan Delegation brought a team of ten polo players.

On the third day of arriving in the Capital City, the Tibetan envoy enthusiastically proposed that the accompanying Tibetan polo team present a polo exhibition match to His Majesty the Emperor, as a gesture of gratitude for the hospitality of the past few days.

The exhibition match was arranged to take place at the Forbidden Garden’s stadium.

The seats for the Emperor and Empress were naturally at the highest point of the stands, offering an excellent view.

The Tibetan polo players were all tall and burly, their play style quite aggressive.

Tang Xiaobai watched attentively for a while and asked, “What do you think?”

“They’re holding back,” Li Mu responded.

Tang Xiaobai nodded in agreement.

It’s an exhibition match! While entertaining, there were many intentionally facile moves that made it hard to discern true ability.

“Not as good as me,” His Majesty the Emperor suddenly added, prompting a side-eye from Tang Xiaobai.

They were holding back, how do you know they’re not as good as you?

Li Mu also turned his face, giving her a look: What? You don’t agree?

Agree! Agree! Tang Xiaobai nodded repeatedly.

Then she heard His Majesty softly mutter “Yes,” and turn his gaze back to the field…

…

The Tibetan Delegation wouldn’t specifically bring a polo team just to play an exhibition match.

After the Imperial Guard also offered an exhibition match, the Tibetan envoy stood and saluted: “Your Majesty’s army is indeed well-trained. By comparison, these undisciplined noble youths of our country are inept, only knowing how to rush blindly ahead. It happens to provide an opportunity for Your Majesty’s experts to give these youngsters some guidance!”

With an invitation to compete issued, the tone was set for the two teams’ match.

On one side was the army, and on the other were the inept noble youths, already at an invincible position.

Li Mu lifted his gaze and said calmly, “My army does not play with children—”

“Heir of Prince Su!”

“Present!” Li Xiao almost bounced up from his seat, his face shining.

“Go entertain the guests.”

The competition, though late, had arrived.

…

On the Tibetan team’s side, because the previous exhibition match revealed little, the starting lineup’s strength was unclear.

On Li Xiao’s side, his regular team was playing, consisting of Liu Song, Zheng Ye, and an additional player found by Li Xiao to substitute for Li Shu, also a royal family member, named Li Pu.

The drums sounded, flags waved, swift horses charged, and the polo sticks swung.

The Tibetan team was by no means just the playful noble youths as the envoy claimed.

Within less than a quarter of an hour, they had targeted the obvious weak link, Li Pu.

After losing three consecutive goals, Tang Xiaobai furrowed her brow and glanced at Li Mu.

How about replacing him.

Li Mu nodded in understanding.

The gong sounded to pause the game.

Each team had only one chance for a substitution.

Li Pu went out, replaced by Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan was a Secretary of the Secretariat, having served since the previous Emperor, and continued under Li Mu’s reign.

Xiao Yan was a civil servant, a scholar, with beautiful and elegant clerical script.

Unexpectedly, such a refined young man had extraordinary polo skills.

Once Xiao Yan took the field, the situation immediately shifted.

Tang Xiaobai had witnessed Xiao Yan’s skills before, so she wasn’t surprised, just quietly glanced at the Emperor beside her.

“Mr. Xiao has already taken the field?”

The Emperor nonchalantly murmured, “Yes.”

Tang Xiaobai felt like laughing: “Then what about the next match?”

Xiao Yan was originally supposed to team up with Tang Ziqian and others for the next match!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep