The next morning, in the imperial palace.
"Seneschal, it's time to wake his majesty." a young eunuch looked up at the sky and whispered.
“True.” Defu said and walked on tiptoes to the inner hall, stopped ten meters from the imperial bed, and shouted with extra caution,
“It’s time to get up, your majesty.”
After a while, the bed curtain was opened from inside. Baili Jue stretched his arms and sat up, said slowly, “wait on me.”
Defu was relieved as he heard his voice and assumed that the emperor was in a good mood. Because he only woke him once and the emperor sounded peaceful and not angry at all.
It was a good thing!
Defu waved to the maids and eunuchs outside who carried toiletries and clothes in. They stopped behind Defu, heads hanging down and waiting for the emperor’s commend.
Baili Jue came down from the bed and yawned. He had gone to bed too late last night and was still sleepy.
Defu looked up at his charming emperor, trying to have a good look at his beautiful face. But he was startled immediately and screamed, “your-your majesty?”
“What? You see a ghost in such an early morning? What are you howling at?” Baili Jue wiped his face with the towel the maid passed over and tossed it back, squinting at Defu.
“Pardon me, your majesty! But…But…your…” Defu begged for forgiveness and looked up again, trying to say something.
“Look at your face, old man. It’s all wrinkled up.” Baili Jue said after he washed his mouth, “if you can’t wait on me, you can leave. I have had enough of you anyway. It is a good chance to have a new face to look at.”
“Your majesty, it’s my mistake. Please don’t ask me to leave!” Defu begged for mercy because he knew it very well how harsh his emperor would be when he was picky.
“Fine. Now tell me what happened.” Baili Jue was not patient to listen to an old eunuch’s high-pitch fake cry.
“Your majesty, you have five bloody marks on your neck. Did anyone hurt you? It is my mistake to have no idea of it.” Defu said nervously, “they look serious. You’d better go see a doctor.”
When Baili Jue felt his neck, the skin was not smooth at all. He could feel something slightly popped out. He asked, raising his eyebrows, “is it obvious?”
Defu nodded heavily. It was too obvious! It could be seen with just one quick look. And the scratches were crazy.
“Go get a mirror.” Baili Jue said.
Soon a maid got a bronze mirror and walked to him, head hanging down.
Baili Jue tilted his head and observed the five obvious scratches. He smiled, “what a wild cat! Sharp claws!”
“Huh?” Defu was confused, “your majesty, we don’t have cats in the palace.”
“Outside the palace.” Answered Baili Jue, still looking at his wound.
“What?! You are scratched by a wild cat! We have to get a doctor for you! The wild cat’s claws are very dirty! Why were you get hurt?” Defu believed what he said.
After he said, he ordered the young eunuch to go get a doctor.
“Come back!” Baili Jue shouted heavily, “did I say I need a doctor? My wild cat is very clean. I don’t need a doctor. Go get a turtleneck coat and cover it up.”
Defu dared not to say a word as he was yelled at by the emperor. He ordered the young eunuch to help the emperor dress but still wondered since when the emperor was interested in feeding a cat, and even outside the palace.
It got even harder to guess the emperor’s thoughts.
…
The next morning, in the imperial palace.
"Seneschal, it's time to wake his majesty." a young eunuch looked up at the sky and whispered.
“True.” Defu said and walked on tiptoes to the inner hall, stopped ten meters from the imperial bed, and shouted with extra caution,
“It’s time to get up, your majesty.”
After a while, the bed curtain was opened from inside. Baili Jue stretched his arms and sat up, said slowly, “wait on me.”
Defu was relieved as he heard his voice and assumed that the emperor was in a good mood. Because he only woke him once and the emperor sounded peaceful and not angry at all.
It was a good thing!
Defu waved to the maids and eunuchs outside who carried toiletries and clothes in. They stopped behind Defu, heads hanging down and waiting for the emperor’s commend.
Baili Jue came down from the bed and yawned. He had gone to bed too late last night and was still sleepy.
Defu looked up at his charming emperor, trying to have a good look at his beautiful face. But he was startled immediately and screamed, “your-your majesty?”
“What? You see a ghost in such an early morning? What are you howling at?” Baili Jue wiped his face with the towel the maid passed over and tossed it back, squinting at Defu.
“Pardon me, your majesty! But…But…your…” Defu begged for forgiveness and looked up again, trying to say something.
“Look at your face, old man. It’s all wrinkled up.” Baili Jue said after he washed his mouth, “if you can’t wait on me, you can leave. I have had enough of you anyway. It is a good chance to have a new face to look at.”
“Your majesty, it’s my mistake. Please don’t ask me to leave!” Defu begged for mercy because he knew it very well how harsh his emperor would be when he was picky.
“Fine. Now tell me what happened.” Baili Jue was not patient to listen to an old eunuch’s high-pitch fake cry.
“Your majesty, you have five bloody marks on your neck. Did anyone hurt you? It is my mistake to have no idea of it.” Defu said nervously, “they look serious. You’d better go see a doctor.”
When Baili Jue felt his neck, the skin was not smooth at all. He could feel something slightly popped out. He asked, raising his eyebrows, “is it obvious?”
Defu nodded heavily. It was too obvious! It could be seen with just one quick look. And the scratches were crazy.
“Go get a mirror.” Baili Jue said.
Soon a maid got a bronze mirror and walked to him, head hanging down.
Baili Jue tilted his head and observed the five obvious scratches. He smiled, “what a wild cat! Sharp claws!”
“Huh?” Defu was confused, “your majesty, we don’t have cats in the palace.”
“Outside the palace.” Answered Baili Jue, still looking at his wound.
“What?! You are scratched by a wild cat! We have to get a doctor for you! The wild cat’s claws are very dirty! Why were you get hurt?” Defu believed what he said.
After he said, he ordered the young eunuch to go get a doctor.
“Come back!” Baili Jue shouted heavily, “did I say I need a doctor? My wild cat is very clean. I don’t need a doctor. Go get a turtleneck coat and cover it up.”
Defu dared not to say a word as he was yelled at by the emperor. He ordered the young eunuch to help the emperor dress but still wondered since when the emperor was interested in feeding a cat, and even outside the palace.
It got even harder to guess the emperor’s thoughts.
…
