Am I Not a Male Emperor? - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Xiao Shanyu and I had a delightful conversation. When he left, I even personally escorted him out of the Eastern Palace.

He was reluctant to part, and we agreed to talk again another time.

I accepted gladly.

Then I turned and instructed the eunuch, “That boy from the Xue Family-has he been sent to the stables?”

The eunuch respectfully answered yes. I smiled. “Skip his dinner. Prepare a midnight snack instead. I’ll deliver it myself tonight.”

Late that night, I carried a food box to see Xue Lingxiao.

Xue Lingxiao was lying there with a stalk of grass between his teeth, bored out of his mind. The moment he saw me, he hurried to his feet, though his eyes filled with deep wariness.

I pretended not to notice and merely smiled. “How is Young General Xue holding up?”

He stubbornly turned his head away. “The Crown Prince asks what he already knows.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his stomach gave a loud growl.

I handed him the food box with my own hands. “Actually, there is something I would like to ask of you.”

He turned back, his tone mocking. “The Crown Prince has need to ask favors too?”

I sighed. “That fledgling has already been put back, but perhaps because it picked up a human scent, the little bird keeps crying from hunger. The adult bird flew back and circled a few times, but still refused to return to the nest.”

I said, “Young General Xue, do you know any way to help?”

He fell silent. I shook my head. “From the sound of it, the bird’s voice is already growing weak. I’m afraid it may starve to death tonight.”

I personally took out the bowl of midnight snack. “Forget it. Young General Xue, eat first. I’ll go ask the other people at the animal quarters.”

The eunuch said softly, “Your Highness, please eat before you go ask. You’ve been running around all night, and you haven’t had a single bite either.”

Xue Lingxiao spoke up. “Why aren’t you eating?”

I smiled. “I meant to invite you to eat with me, but unfortunately, the hour passed. So I thought I might as well go hungry with you.”

Seeing him fidget and hesitate, I smiled again. “Are you going to invite me to eat with you?”

He stiffened his neck and pushed the food toward me. “Just eat.”

I sat cross-legged right beside him in the hay and began eating from the same bowl with my chopsticks.

He froze for a moment, then simply stopped being polite with me.

There was not much food in the bowl, but sharing it between the two of us gave it a flavor all its own. Xue Lingxiao kept glancing at me. I continued eating as if nothing were amiss, showing not the slightest displeasure.

After we finished, he wiped his mouth. “I’ll go take a look at that bird for you.”

I smiled. “No rush. Did you see my horse, Black Jade?”

Xue Lingxiao’s eyes lit up. “That horse is yours?”

I nodded. “Speaking of horses, your mother, Lady Xue, is also an excellent judge of them.”

He smiled. “She is. My mother loves horses more than anything. I only know a little, but even I can tell that Your Highness’s horse will surely become a steed capable of traveling a thousand li.”

After several rounds of idle conversation, Xue Lingxiao was no longer on guard against me. Instead, he began to see me as a kindred spirit.

Together, we rode through Shanglin Park in the misty dawn. Xue Lingxiao’s carefree laughter woke the sleeping birds from their nests.

When it was time to part, I placed Black Jade’s reins in his hand. “Raise him for me. A man’s ambitions should reach far and wide. Take him with you to see the scenery of the frontier.”

Xue Lingxiao froze. I had already turned and walked away.

He was still standing there, staring at me in a daze.