Chapter 123 Taiyi

Chapter 123: Taiyi

Like being frozen the second before a nuclear blast, time seemed about to stand still.

Zhou Mingqi stared blankly at the shoe on the back of his hand, his gaze slowly traveling upward along the foot.

Finally, his eyes met Cheng Ge’s, and the two locked gazes.

Zhou Mingqi radiated an authority so overpowering, a suffocating pressure that threatened to drown everything.

“Move it.” Zhou Mingqi’s voice was completely flat, yet the command within it was impossible to ignore.

Cheng Ge stared dumbly at the other man, his toes involuntarily curling together, his throat as dry as if burned by fire.

Under Zhou Mingqi’s intimidating presence, Cheng Ge ultimately chose to yield.

He slowly, gently, moved his foot away, as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

Zhou Mingqi looked at the footprint on the back of his hand, not making a big deal out of it, and reached for the hu tablet to stand up.

But just as he was about to rise, Cheng Ge, probably channeling Dahuang’s dog-like boldness, lunged forward in a quick step and snatched the hu tablet away.

Zhou Mingqi: “???”

“No need to trouble Your Majesty, I can pick it up myself.” Cheng Ge clutched the tablet tightly in his hand.

The palace attendants hardly dared to breathe, keeping their heads bowed low, terrified of getting caught up in it.

Zhou Mingqi reached out for a handkerchief to wipe the back of his hand, his eyes on Cheng Ge as he slowly extended his hand, palm facing up.

Cheng Ge stared at the large palm before him, feeling like he couldn’t breathe.

If someone had told him right then that there was a spaceship to take him to outer space, he’d have bought a ticket on the spot.

If the thing on this hu tablet were discovered by Zhou Mingqi, his life would be on the line.

Cheng Ge squeezed the tablet, snuck a glance up at Zhou Mingqi, and pretended not to get what he meant.

Yet Zhou Mingqi was extraordinarily patient, his hand never lowering.

The two remained in a standoff. Cheng Ge hung his head, his fingertips scraping the tablet twice more.

The fragrant aloes incense in the hall wisped faintly, swaying with the breeze, wrapping around every strand of hair like silk threads.

Zhou Mingqi’s face gradually darkened. He stretched his hand another two inches forward, the message clear.

Cheng Ge saw the hand almost reaching his chin, his eyelashes fluttered, his fingers twisting then letting go.

Finally… he cautiously placed his hand on Zhou Mingqi’s wrist, and whispered softly: “Your Majesty’s deep and continuous chi pulse, which presses strongly, indicates rootedness—the kidney qi is solid.”

Zhou Mingqi: “…”

Zhou Mingqi was speechless, his look at Cheng Ge betrayed neither joy nor anger.

Just as Cheng Ge was about to withdraw his hand, his wrist was suddenly grabbed and he was yanked forward.

Cheng Ge stumbled, losing control and lurching forward.

Cheng Ge: “!!!”

But fortunately, Cheng Ge reacted swiftly and moved with agility.

Just as he was half a meter from the dragon’s body, with lightning speed he pressed down on the dragon head.

Cheng Ge: Damn, that was close.

Zhou Mingqi: “…”

The attendants nearly screamed but clamped their hands over their mouths, not daring to breathe.

Cheng Ge looked at Zhou Mingqi, whose face was black as charcoal, his mind went blank, his heart pounding so fast it felt like it would burst out of his chest.

The only thought in his head was: Should he pick a cemetery on South Mountain or would North Water give him more face?

Realizing he was barely twenty years old, a rising star about to fall, he couldn’t help sighing to himself.

He had just arranged to go drinking with his guard buddy—was he really going to stand him up? His credit was about to be ruined again.

Cheng Ge glanced at the emperor before him, swallowing hard.

Maybe... he could still save this somehow.

“A gentleman is quick in action but slow in speech…”

Then Cheng Ge swiftly turned and stood behind Zhou Mingqi.

Slowly extending both hands, he gently straightened the emperor’s tilted crown and smoothed his hair.

Zhou Mingqi: “???”

Zhou Mingqi had no idea what new stunt he was pulling, and was about to speak.

But just then, a warm soft hand pressed against his temple out of nowhere, gently rubbing in circles.

Cheng Ge’s sycophantic voice sounded in his ear: “Your Majesty works day and night on state affairs, exhausting himself for the country and the people.

We officials see this and it pains us! But unfortunately, I’m naturally slow-witted and can’t share Your Majesty’s burdens, which fills me with even more shame.

Just today, I learned a massage technique from a physician, and I wish to relieve some of Your Majesty’s fatigue.”

As Cheng Ge spoke, his hands moved with earnest diligence.

Zhou Mingqi was momentarily stunned by this sudden move, swallowing the reprimand that had been on his lips.

Seeing that Zhou Mingqi didn’t react, Cheng Ge grew bolder.

He began to babble on, flattering Zhou Mingqi, his hands moving with increasing skill.

The attendants exchanged barely perceptible looks of disbelief.

This young fella... has got some moves...

Zhou Mingqi felt the gentle sensation at his temples, finding it rather pleasant, and his grim expression softened a bit.

Just as Cheng Ge was secretly congratulating himself for dodging disaster, Zhou Mingqi, seemingly out of nowhere, reached out and snatched the hu tablet from Cheng Ge’s sleeve.

Cheng Ge: “!!!”

As the saying goes, if it's a blessing, it's not a disaster; if it's a disaster, there's no escaping it.

When Zhou Mingqi's gaze fell on the Hu Tablet, it was already too late for Cheng Ge to do anything.

At that moment, Zhou Mingqi looked at the little figure on the tablet, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

The figure had a large head and a small body, sitting majestically on a chair, with an exceptionally stern expression.

On its forehead, out of nowhere had two large horns, and beneath its robes, instead of legs, there was a coiled dragon tail.

Cheng Ge resigned to his fate; it seemed that heaven was determined to take him today, for no reason at all.

He took two steps back and knelt before Zhou Mingqi with a deathly expression, and offered a half-hearted plea for mercy, "Your Majesty, forgive me."

Zhou Mingqi stared at the little figure on the tablet in silence for a long time, the surroundings so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Just when Cheng Ge thought he was surely dead, Zhou Mingqi suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

The laugh was low and echoed in the empty hall, making Cheng Ge's neck go cold.

Yes, yes! That's exactly how the big shots laugh when they're about to rip a pawn apart.

It's over, it's over! Was he about to be minced into meat? He should have just gone home and raised pigs instead of becoming an official.

"Who is this painting of?" Zhou Mingqi's voice came from beside him.

Cheng Ge looked up, stunned, his lips half-open, staring at Zhou Mingqi.

That one sentence made his CPU smoke.

Now... was it necessary to ask that? Isn't it obvious that it's a painting of you?

Oh... no, wait, he almost forgot. He and his second brother were birds of a feather—both crappy abstract painters.

It wouldn't be strange if Zhou Mingqi couldn't recognize such a masterpiece.

Thinking this, Cheng Ge pursed his lips, his mind racing.

He wondered if admitting that it was a painting of the Dog Emperor would make his crime even worse. After all, defiling the imperial face was a serious crime!