Time Travel and Love

Mo Liujin didn't choose a carriage, but rode his horse directly towards the palace gate. Father Li couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, "My dear son-in-law, your father and mother have such a good relationship."

Mo Jiangqing was also embarrassed. He had to explain to his son how they were showing affection in public. "Father-in-law, please forgive me. My father and mother were young couples. They knew each other for many years before they got married. It's true that they experienced so much hardship in their youth. My father...whenever it comes to my mother, he is very stubborn."

Li covered her mouth and chuckled, "Father, please don't ask. Anyway, no man can do what my father-in-law does."

Meanwhile, Chu Qingmeng brought the disguised Quan Si and Cheng Shuang into the palace, holding her pipa, and waited for the Emperor to summon her. It wasn't long before the Emperor summoned her. In just a few months, the Emperor had aged alarmingly. Dismissing the servants, he spoke calmly, "Please sit down. I've been very tired lately, and I won't beat around the bush. What do you think of appointing a crown prince?"

Chu Qingmeng frowned. He'd said he wasn't beating around the bush, but wasn't this too direct? After a moment's contemplation, he spoke softly, "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself. You shouldn't dwell on this." He raised his hand and motioned for Quan Si to take his pulse.

The emperor didn't say anything, but simply held out his hand for Quan Si to feel his pulse. He then said calmly, "An Ning, please play a song. I haven't been able to calm down for a long time."

Chu Qingmeng nodded slightly and began to tune the strings. Then, a brisk rhythmic tune, "Yangchun Baixue," slowly emerged from his fingertips, and the Emperor seemed to perk up a bit. Quan Si seemed to have taken a long time to feel his pulse. Although his expression remained silent, his heart was already twisted into a knot.

After the song ended, Quan Si slowly withdrew his hand and returned to whisper a few words in Chu Qingmeng's ear. Chu Qingmeng said, "Your Majesty, do you want to relax? I, your maid, may not know many other things, but I am an excellent needleworker."

The emperor hummed, and Quan Si stepped forward to administer the acupuncture. Although the emperor had his eyes closed, his mind was still racing. "An Ning, you haven't answered my question just now."

Chu Qingmeng sighed, "Uncle Emperor, why bother? Haven't you already thought it through? According to the rules, the eldest son should be the heir."

"That's according to the rules, but is he worthy?" The emperor opened his eyes, the bloodshot in his eyes were almost connected into a piece, his eyes were turbid like an old man, but he was only sixty-seven years old.

Yes, how could the emperor be willing to let this vast empire fall into the hands of a person without talent or virtue?

After a long moment, Chu Qingmeng sighed, "Appoint the heir, the eldest son, or the most capable. If the three conflict, then only the most capable can be appointed. The talented can take the throne."

"According to An Ning, who can be called virtuous?" The emperor was truly at his wit's end. Otherwise, why would he ask Chu Qingmeng about this? Perhaps it was just the court officials arguing every day, with no results, right?

Chu Qingmeng chuckled lightly but didn't answer. Hearing Chu Qingmeng's laughter, the emperor also laughed. Yes, she was really sick and confused. She hadn't even met any of them yet, so how could she know? After a moment of contemplation, he seemed to have made up his mind, "An Ning, come with me to court tomorrow, and you can see them too."

Chu Qingmeng was startled. What?! Seeing the shock in Chu Qingmeng's eyes, the emperor laughed weakly. "Don't worry, you'll be fine behind the screen. Do you want to stay in the palace tonight? You can get up a little later tomorrow. Your father said you're always lazy and don't like to get up early. The morning court begins at 2:30 am. If you're outside the palace, you'll have to get up at 3:30 pm at the latest."

"..." As expected, she said, the emperor's job is not easy, even for a tyrant. Why don't you go to court at midnight? That's so early! But, stay overnight? Forget it, she was afraid Mo Liujin would go crazy. "Uncle Emperor, forget it, I'm sure I'll be in my own bed."

"Hahaha," the emperor laughed. "Well, it's up to you. But you must arrive earlier than the other officials. You should be there at 11:00 AM. With my token, you can go directly into the Hall of Supreme Harmony without getting out of the sedan chair."

Chu Qingmeng twitched her lips, knowing the emperor was giving her a sweet treat after a slap. He knew she didn't want to get up early, but he still granted her a favor, allowing her to ride in a sedan chair directly to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. Chu Qingmeng knelt down to express her gratitude, "Thank you, Uncle Emperor, for your grace. I'll take my leave peacefully."

He reached the door and stopped again. "Tomorrow, An Ning will bring someone to check the emperor's pulse. Please take care of yourself, emperor."

The emperor waved his hand, indicating that he understood and let her go.

Along the way, none of the three of them spoke, except Chu Qingmeng, who was exhausted. She had to walk in when she came and walk out when she left. She was not very strong and her pace was slow. The palace was huge, so it took her over an hour to walk from the Qianqing Palace to a palace gate. Once she got on the carriage, she was exhausted and her legs didn't feel like her own. Xia Zhi helped her into the carriage, and she immediately slumped in the seat, not wanting to move anymore.

Quan Si, who had disguised himself as Chun He, couldn't help but smile. He rummaged through his pockets for a long time and finally pulled out a small porcelain bottle. "Master Jiu, the old owner said this is for you to eat for fun. Do you want one?"

Chu Qingmeng reached out, took it, and tossed it directly into her mouth. The familiar hawthorn flavor—hmm—made her feel instantly better after eating it, but that didn't stop her from being mentally lazy. She still slumped in her seat, eyes closed, listlessly. She was sleepy. Mo Liujin had been waiting for her for a long time outside the palace gates. Seeing her carriage, he slipped in without a second thought.