My Devil Emperor
Advice from Ministers

"Your Majesty, the ministers are back to talk about—"

"I know, don't say it again."

"You won't consider it?"

ZiXuan turned his head and looked at the skeptical Li Wei. "Do you consider me that weak to defend this empire until I have to do that proposed political marriage?"

"Your Majesty should probably reconsider," Yuan's interruption made the two people inside the room instantly look at him in surprise.

"Why are you here?" zixuan asked after waking up from her shock.

Yuan smiled and walked over. Lifting up the basket he was carrying, Yuan said, "My master has looked very tyrannical, the past few months have not eaten well either."

Yuan looked at ZiXuan and then Li Wei took turns.

"Hamba permission left the room," Li Wei said lowered his head before finally walking out.

"I heard things weren't so good. And one of cara—"

"Don't worry, nothing will happen. Don't think too much" ZiXuan said interrupting the conversation.

"How can you not worry? I am your queen. Empress of the Qin dynasty. Husband, please think of—."

"I don't want to talk about it! If you still want to talk about it, then just go."

Yuan was silent for a moment before finally returning to say, "Alright, alright." He withdrew ZiXuan's hand and took him to sit down.

Yuan opened the basket cover and took out the contents. He took out a flower-shaped cake and pointed it at ZiXuan. "Aaa" said Yuan like a mother who was persuading her child to eat.

ZiXuan let out a long sigh before finally opening his mouth and taking a small bite of the cake he was given.

"How does it feel?"

"Not bad."

Yuan pursed his lips and softly struck ZiXuan's chest with his other hand. "I asked seriously!"

ZiXuan smiled faintly and replied, "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Forget over. Your face has never even expressed itself," Yuan murmured softly.

"What did you just say?"

Seeing ZiXuan looking at him full of probing, Yuan laughed crisply and said, "Ah, there is nothing."

"I heard it, let's say it again!" ZiXuan shifted himself, starting to approach.

"Nothing, really! Maybe you misheard," Yuan said.

"Oh? Really true?" ZiXuan placed his hands behind Yuan's head as the woman nearly hit the bed support as it continued to make some distance.

"My husband should finish his food immediately, otherwise it will be cold soon," Yuan said softly. His head turned in the other direction, not daring to look at ZiXuan who was very close away from him.

"You can reheat it."

"Ma—rewated food, unhealthy. Eat now."

"Why is the empress' face flushed? Are you sick?" tanya ZiXuan pretended to be worried. He lightly touched Yuan's cheek with his finger.

"Your Majesty, stop teasing me and eat quickly!" Eventually Yuan was able to break the temptation and push ZiXuan's chest away from him.

"My wife, why are you so cruel? Didn't you make a mistake a few minutes ago? Now why am I the one who feels persecuted?" zixuan said with a clear face.

"You deserve more than this!" yuan sarcasm.

"You're more interesting than this food. I want you."

"Eat or you can't touch me?!"

"Emer, you are so cruel!"

Yuan came out of the reading room with a crunch. Of course because he had managed to persuade ZiXuan to finish off the food he had brought.

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress."

His steps stopped when he heard the greeting from behind.

Yuan turned his head and frowned. "You?"

Looking at the confusion clearly drawn on Yuan's face, the middle-aged man lowered his head politely and said, "Hamba is Gao Yan, the new defense minister."

"Ah, I know. Mr. Gao called me, is there a problem?"

"Is important? I have other business too."

"It's very important."

After some hesitation, Yuan finally agreed to Minister Gao's request. "Say."

***

Yuan sat pensively staring at the calm water of the lotus pond. He spent over an hour there.

"Your Majesty, servant and Jingli have been looking for you since? Why are you still outside?" The sound made Yuan come to his senses from his daydream.

She turned her head and found Yunniang and Jingli who were looking at her worriedly.

"In a moment," Yuan said again staring at the pond.

Jingli turned to Yunniang and said, "I'll take a warm shirt." After that, hurry away.

"Is there anything that bothers you, Your Majesty?" yunniang asked in a bold manner.

Yuan smiled faintly. His hands began to touch the surface of the water, and a thin wave appeared. "What do you see?"

Though puzzled, Yunniang replied, "Little wave."

"How do you think this pool water is going to stay calm?"

Yunniang. He seemed to think hard but in the end he gave up. "Hamba doesn't know."

"No need to think about it, you won't find a way. That's not possible."

"How about closing it?"

Yuan looked over with a frown. "What's closed?"

"His colour. Cover it with glass or a screen, so the water will remain calm and clean."

"You're gonna make the flowers die because they don't get oxygen."

"Oxygen?"

Yuan took a long breath. "I mean air."

"Ah, does the lotus need air to live?"

"Are we talking about that?"

Yunniang laughed crisply while scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, Your Honor. So why are you asking about it?"

At the same time, Jingli returned with a coat. "Your Majesty, wear it so that it doesn't cool down" he said as he put the coat on Yuan's shoulder.

"none. Just wanted to ask."

Jingli looked at the two with a puzzled look on his face. "What's being talked about?" ask her slowly to Yunniang.

"The Empress asked, how to keep this pool water calm."

"What do you think?" asked Yuan after Yunniang told him.

"The Empress, I only know how to read and write. To your question, I have no answer. Based on what I understand about Your Majesty, it is certain that we have a different understanding. Aren't we?"

"You know, too, that I always want answers regardless of right or wrong."

Jingli sighed deeply before returning to say, "Alright. Actually I have no definite answer. If you want the water to remain calm, then just close the surface. But the teratanya flowers will die, so I will just replace the flowers with fake flowers that will not wither but still look beautiful. The pool water will also remain calm, right?"

Yuan nodded in understanding. "That's possible. But also fake. What are you doing?" Yuan was surprised to see Jingli squabbling beside him.

"What does it mean?"

Yunniang frowned confusedly. "Jingli, what do you mean?"

Jingli turned to look at Yunniang and replied, "Sister Niang, you should know one of the facts about our Princess, every sentence or question as strange as you just heard from her has meaning. Therefore, I can sometimes look smart." He said with pride.

"Right, but you're more unintelligent" said Yuan, who was immediately greeted by Jingli's sorrowful gaze. "You are very cruel, Your Majesty," he said softly.

"So what is the meaning of your question, Your Majesty?" asked Yunniang who was getting interested.

Yuan sighed softly. He looked back at the calm water of the lotus pond.

"Look."