Chapter 8 – Piteous Prime Minister
‘Was… was that a nightmare?’ Hua Chun thought to herself as she placed a hand on her forehead, her expression troubled.
How could she dream of such a scene?
She only met the emperor today. Yet, now she dreamed of him — and even got woken up in fear by his sharp glare. ‘Eh, too scary…’ Hua Chun thought as she recalled the events, fidgeting in place. The psychological burden she incurred was way too serious.
Also, why did she suddenly have the power to travel in her dreams? She actually roamed the entire city and even paid a visit to that tyrant! ‘If only I experienced this in the modern world…’
Want to travel all around Yanjing? All she had to do was go to sleep, have a dream. No more crowds! She could just find a hotel or stay in her room at her house. Then, lay down and sleep. Easy as that. She didn’t have to squeeze herself into traffic or buy a tour package. Such regrets settled in her mind.
With a sigh, Hua Chun aimed a glance to her side, at the window where glimmers of light peeked their way through the paper panes. ‘Ah, not that bright. It should still be around dawn right now.’
She yawned, her shoulders hunching back down, the sluggish feeling of being newly awake overcoming her. ‘Hn… still sleepy.’ With another yawn, she stretched her body, one hand subconsciously moving to rub her behind.
‘Eh? Wasn’t I injured?’
Curious and confused, Hua Chun righted herself and continued to feel her bottom, her eyebrows furrowed. It still hurt a little, but it was neither as stiff nor as dull as it was before. Cautiously, she wiggled her toes. ‘Hm… not bad.’ Steeling her heart, she started moving her legs around in small motions, her eyes quickly widening in surprise. ‘Oh?’ Not that big of a problem at all. It was still painful, yes, but, if she paced herself, she could probably last a few hours.
‘Oho…’ The medicine given by that old man seemed to be useful. It was much faster and more effective than the modern medicine provided by modern hospitals, and it was definitely much better than all the medication she used before.
‘Ah… Those old men weren’t all that bad, after all.’ Hua Chun thought to herself, perking up. But, as soon as the thought formed in her mind, she heard the doors to the outer room being pushed open, familiar howls filtering through the paper screens.
“Prime Minister!”
“Prime Minister!”
And just like that, the spell was broken. ‘Aiya, those old men!’ Panicked, Hua Chun immediately lay down on her stomach, burying her face against her pillow, pretending to go to sleep.
Outside, Grand Preceptor Tang was the first to step in, but his progress was quickly stopped by Pin Tan. Yet, he was not deterred. He faced towards the door and raised his voice to the fullest, his face showing anxiety.
“Prime Minister! It’s time to get up! The sedan chair is waiting outside!”
At those words, Hua Chun’s eyes felt like watering as she continued to play dead, turning a deaf ear to their cries. ‘Get up? Bah! That is insane!’ Her bottom might not hurt as much, but she was still wounded. Wounded! These old men were so heartless, wanting her to go to court after only a day’s rest. Wasn’t there any humanity left in this world?
“Prime Minister?” Grand Secretary Li also shouted, sounding just as anxious as the former. “Are you awake yet? You will be late!”
‘Argh! Such devilish news!’ Hua Chun wanted to tremble in fear, but that would give her act away. Instead, she gritted her teeth and tried to calm herself, forcing herself to steady her breathing and be quiet. ‘Who had to go to court?’ She had no clue! She was just a child, ignorant of the ways of the world. Why could they not let her off?
Outside, in front of all these anxious and highly respected officials, Pin Tan could no longer bear it and cast a glance towards Hua Chun’s door, mentally offering her master an apology.
Straightening their back, Pin Tan faced the old court officials and bowed at the waist, offering a compromise. “My Lords, I humbly ask, please bear for a moment longer. Wait for this servant to go in and wake the Prime Minister.”
“Alright.” Several people answered in unison as they took a step back, folding their hands behind their back as anticipation and anxiousness swirled in their eyes. Seeing this, Pin Tan almost felt like a single drop of sweat would fall from her temple as she mentally patted her master’s back in condolence. That stance… Even if this servant tried their luck, it clearly meant that if the prime minister did not get up, these old officials would rush in and snatch Hua Chun up themselves!
Shaking off those wayward thoughts, Pin Tan offered the officials another, slightly smaller bow before turning her back to them. She then made quick work of opening a small gap between the doors of Hua Chun’s room, sliding in and closing them the moment after, not wanting the officials to barge in, given the opportunity.
With a troubled expression, Pin Tan walked over to Hua Chun’s bedside and reached out to shake her shoulder, her voice adopting a helpless tone.
“Young Master,” she whispered, “This servant cannot continue to obstruct them, but Young Master can. Please, Young Master, show yourself before them and ask for more time.”
After uttering those words, Pin Tan quickly directed their gaze at the two servants behind them. With a nod of her head, she mentally lit up a stick of incense for her master. ‘Young Master, forgive me. Those old men were too persistent. This servant has no choice but to make you get ready.’ She muttered a soundless apology.