The prince is very cruel

The glazed tiles, golden dragon patterns, vermilion pillars… make this place seem unreal; its grandeur and majesty are simply incomparable to the crudely made costume dramas of later generations.

There were many eunuchs standing on both sides. The old emperor had been waiting on the dragon throne for a long time. He was wearing a dragon robe and looked solemn and old. Beautiful palace maids were waiting on both sides.

"I, Guan Ning, the humble servant, pay my respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!" He saluted from a distance.

The old emperor opened his cloudy eyes and smiled: "Look at me, I can't help but admit that I'm old. I've been waiting for such a while, and now I'm asleep."

Hearing this, Guan Ning was startled. How could he not hear the subtext? It was clearly saying that he would not report as soon as he returned to Beijing, and he was actually asked to wait.

He immediately pretended to be panicked and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty!"

"I should have reported to Your Majesty immediately, but as I passed by home, I couldn't bear the longing for you, so I returned home first."

"I am guilty of a capital crime. Your Majesty, I beg you to punish me."

The old emperor looked at Guan Ning deeply, but said nothing more. In the blink of an eye, his face became pleasant.

"Hahaha."

"You are good at everything, kid, but you are too smart."

"You're too smart. I don't blame you."

"You are my meritorious official, how can I punish you? Come, get up!" As he said this, he even walked down personally and helped Guan Ning up.

Generally speaking, it is impossible for the emperor to have such close contact with someone, even if it is an important official of the current dynasty. He must maintain a safe distance and remain mysterious and majestic.

But he just helped Guan Ning up, and for a moment Guan Ning was a little confused about the old emperor's thoughts. Could it be that he was too sensitive and was paranoid?

This is a hospitality in itself, not a so-called Hongmen Banquet.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Guan Ning bowed and secretly looked at the old emperor's expression, but could not see anything.

"Come, follow me and sit next to me." The old emperor pulled him and said very kindly.

But Guan Ning could not feel the kind of sincere love and care that Old Xiao Changhe had for him.

The table was filled with delicacies, each of which was a royal banquet, top-notch luxury, but Guan Ning had no appetite. He would rather go home and have a reunion dinner with his family. Eating here always felt empty, without any sense of home.

It is true that emperors are lonely.

"Guan Ning."

"Come, try the cooking in the palace and see if you like it." The old emperor said with a smile, as if he was just chatting about family matters.

Guan Ning could only pick up some food, took a bite, and said exaggeratedly: "This delicacy is unparalleled in the world!"

"Hahaha!"

The old emperor laughed and said, "You have a very sweet mouth!"

"Everyone who comes to eat here is always timid and fearful, but only you dare to be so open-minded."

Guan Ning was speechless, thinking to himself, "Isn't that the same thing to me? I just don't show it."

"Haha, Your Majesty, I'm just used to being wild and not up to par. Please don't blame me."

"You have helped me so much this time and eliminated such a big problem. I don't have time to praise you, so how could I blame you?" The old emperor finally brought up the business.

Guan Ning is no longer a young man of twenty years old. After all, as a second-generation rich man, he has to be tough when he needs to be tough, and he has to flatter when he needs to.

He then said, "I dare not. This success was actually a matter of luck. That day, a thunderbolt struck Zhao Tai to death in the clear sky of Guangdong and Guangxi."

"I got a great bargain."

"I think it must be God's help, helping His Majesty, the True Dragon Emperor!"

Hearing this, the old emperor actually laughed, then looked at him suspiciously, his cloudy eyes full of scrutiny: "Did Zhao Tai really die from thunder?"

Guan Ning's eyes widened, and he blurted out seriously, "Your Majesty, it's true!"

"I can swear an oath right now!"

As he said this, he was about to kneel down and swear.

The old emperor immediately said, "Forget it, that's not necessary. No matter how he died, it's all right as long as he died."

Guan Ning breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the old emperor didn't know about the gunpowder, it would be fine. If he knew, it would be a disaster. He would probably immediately force him to tell him the formula of the gunpowder. If he didn't give it, his property would be confiscated and his family would be exterminated.