The System Make Me Near With The Emperor
Chapter 38

All those who had been poisoned on the eve of the banquet, were already cured. The palace has now begun to continue its routine.

After Huang Long was done with the court affairs, he visited the Empress Dowager's residence. He wore court clothes, making himself look dignified. The strong cold aura made everyone who witnessed his footsteps shiver.

The Queen Mother was the previous Queen. He was from the Chen family, named Chen Mingzhu. It used to be when Huang Long's birth mother died, the Queen Mother took care of Huang Long until he was sent to the military. At that moment the Queen Mother was against the Emperor who made the decision for Huang Long's fate. The Queen Mother felt that Huang Long was too small to know anything related to war.

But, still the Emperor's decision was not easy to overturn. So at that time, the Queen Mother had to be willing to watch her adopted son go to the military camp.

Huang Long had only gotten quite good treatment under the tutelage of the Queen Mother.

After Huang Long walked for quite a while, he finally arrived at the Empress Mother's residence. Huang Long could not guess the reason his adoptive mother had called him here.

Huang Long stood in front of a middle-aged woman who still looked young. Her facial lines could not hide the beauty in the past. The woman was wearing a very luxurious golden dress, with various kinds of jewelry attached to her body.

Huang Long then slightly bowed his body. "Zhen saluted the Queen Mother."

The Suri Mother's voice was soft. "Sit down." Huang Long then complied to land his ass in a chair .

The queen mother opened their conversation by asking questions. Her tone of voice was filled with worry as she asked. "Long'er, how are you doing right now? I heard you were poisoned a few days ago?"

"That's right. But, Zhen was very lucky because Consort Xie had the antidote."

The mother's forehead frowned when she heard a strange name but looked familiar. "Consort Xie?"

"Concubine Xie was sent to the Palace one year ago by the Xie family.

"I remember. She's the quiet girl, right?"

Huang Long nodded. This one year he really did not know the whereabouts of Xie Hongyi, if only there had been no murder, maybe forever he would not have known about the woman.

Suddenly the Queen Mother said. "I dreamed of Chen'er all night." His tone is weak.

Huang Long was speechless at the Suri Mother's words. "Please don't be sad. What if Zhen orders some people to look for him again?" Huang Long said comforting words with a flat face.

"no need. It's been a dozen years that he's disappeared. I don't know if he's alive or not."

"If it's Mom's decision, Zhen doesn't dare to argue."

The Queen Mother smiled as she looked at the obedient Huang Long. The once quiet boy had now grown into a mature man. The Queen Mother then thought of something. "Long'er, how long have you been Emperor?"

Huang Long replied. "A little over six years."

"Long time. Are any of your concubines pregnant?"

Huang Long then knew the direction of the Queen Mother's conversation. "Nothing." He answered honestly.

The Queen Mother's long eyebrows fused together. "Why? Aren't you interested in your concubines? The palace needs some successors."

Huang Long spoke indifferently. "There's Prince Jue."

The Queen Mother's face changed drastically. The middle-aged woman said angrily. "Him only? You should be at your age now at least five kids. What if I send you a few more concubines?" The Queen Mother thought that Huang Long was not interested in her concubines. That assumption was reinforced with only one prince born since Huang Long came to power.

"There's no need to bother Mom to give me another concubine. Now, I just want to focus on taking care of this country."

The Queen Mother sighed tiredly looking at her stubborn son. However, he was also a person of the same nature. "I'll still send you some concubines."

Huang Long also sighed and could only resign to his mother's decision. After all, he didn't need to take care directly about his harem. Perhaps Huang Long would treat those women as decorations he would never wear.

***

Stepping out of Empress Shi's residence, Xie Hongyi sighed. He did not get any information from the Empress. Xie Hongyi also knew that actually Empress Shi knew something, but she did not tell him the truth.

Huang Long stared expressionlessly at Xie Hongyi who was in pain. He said in a flat tone. "You okay?"

Xie Hongyi raised his head when he heard the voice of people asking him. He lowered the hand that rubbed his forehead, then said in a flat tone as well. "I'm fine."

Huang Long's head nodded slightly. He was then about to walk again, but since there was Xie Hongyi, now he was the one who had instead bumped into the woman. The two shoulders of the man collided.

Xie Hongyi groaned as Huang Long touched his wound last night. Xie Hongyi held the bottom of his own shoulder, and did not dare to touch the injured part. "It hurts!"

Xie Hongyi's tone of voice was different from the one from earlier. Now he sounds like he's really in pain. For some reason, Huang Long's heart also hurt like someone was pinching him when he heard Xie Hongyi's tone of voice. He then grabbed Xie Hongyi's arm, right in the injured area.

Xie Hongyi's eyes reddened as Huang Long pressed down on his wound, then widened upon hearing the sound of the rag being torn.

"Hey! Why did you tear my shirt?! Xie Hongyi shouted in shock as Huang Long tore his sleeve. After the sleeves were ripped off, a scar draped in a reddish bandage was seen in Huang Long's view. Earlier this morning Xie Hongyi did not have time to remove the bandage that Ling'er paired. Fortunately, the clothes he wears today are made of soft and smooth, so it is not too rubbing the wound wrapped in a thin bandage.

Huang Long's brows united as he looked at the reddened wound bandage on Xie Hongyi's arm. He did not say anything, but his facial line was so dark that it was not very visible. Wordlessly, he withdrew Xie Hongyi's unharmed hands, making the woman stagger following Huang Long's wide steps. He was dragged for some time then stopped in front of a building.

Xie Hongyi glanced at the calligraphy board hanging above the door of the building. He was apparently taken by Huang Long to his study.

When they reached the room, Huang Long shook Xie Hongyi's shoulders and sat the woman down in a chair. He then walked to his desk, opened the drawer and took a box from it.

When Huang Long returned to Xie Hongyi, he opened the box. The box turned out to contain several bottles of medicine and several pieces of gauze. Huang Long then opened one of the medicine bottles, then applied it to Xie Hongyi's wound after removing the used bandage.

The drug smells typical of herbal plants and causes a cold sensation on the skin when applied. Huang Long's slender, long fingers carefully applied the medicine to Xie Hongyi's wound. It was seen that Huang Long was like the first time treating someone. His movements were irregular and looked original.

Xie Hongyi stared fixedly at Huang Long's slender fingers. Those fingers were extremely beautiful, and made Xie Hongyi amazed. However, he suddenly flinched when Huang Long finished applying the medicine.

"ah! You tied the bandages too tight!"

Xie Hongyi really wanted to cry as Huang Long tied the layer of gauze. Did this man use deep energy when he put the cloth on?

Hearing Xie Hongyi's agonizing voice again, Huang Long then tried to slowly wrap the gauze around. Not long after, Huang Long finally managed to wrap around Xie Hongyi's wound.

Huang Long said with satisfaction. "Done." He then looked at Xie Hongyi with a child-like gaze asking for praise while doing something good.

Xie Hongyi looked at Huang Long's work with an inexplicable glance. The gauze was wrapped around originally, there was no aesthetic sense at all. But, Huang Long confidently sighed in satisfaction. Xie Hongyi did not have the heart to give a bad comment about his work, so he kept quiet.

Taking the box back to put in the drawer, Huang Long asked Xie Hongyi. "Zhen heard you ask about the missing person in the Palace."

By the time Huang Long returned from the Queen Mother's residence, he had accidentally heard Xie Hongyi ask Empress Shi about the missing person as she walked past the Phoenix residence. With his sharp sense of hearing from practicing martial arts for so many years, Huang Long heard after Xie Hongyi asked, Empress Shi did not give a correct answer. For that reason, he had the eunuch who had been behind him come back, while he would meet Xie Hongyi. After he met Xie Hongyi, he would return and suddenly bump into Xie Hongyi's injured arm. He spontaneously brought Xie Hongyi to treat.

Huang Long then asked again when he saw the silent Xie Hongyi. "Why are you asking me this?"

Xie Hongyi then answered Huang Long with a question as well. "Is Your Majesty pleased to tell me something?"

"If you want to find out about the missing person in the palace, then you have to deal with the Queen Mother."

"Why do I have to deal with the Queen Mother?"

"The case of missing people in the palace has happened quite often. Most of the victims were slaves or servants. They were all lost and never found. But it was a common occurrence. You're definitely not going to investigate a case like that?"

Huang Long guessed correctly as expected of a protagonist. "really. I want to find out someone like the royal family or nobles who had lost in the Palace. But why do I have to deal with the Queen Mother?" Xie Hongyi asked a question that Huang Long had no time to answer.

Instead of answering Xie Hongyi's question, Huang Long instead asked another question. "Would you like to find out like that when you went to Consort Li's residence and investigated the truth about her death?"

Xie Hongyi was stunned for a moment. "Your Majesty knows?"

"of course. Do you think this Zhen is stupid?"

Huang Long clearly did not have a clear expression on his face, it was hard to guess whether he sneered or just said normally.