"Hahaha, if they disagree, their clans will be wiped out. What do you think they'll do?"
"You've done well this time, kid! I'm very satisfied!"
Li Shimin rose from behind his imperial desk and paced the hall.
"Issue an order: tomorrow's morning court will discuss state affairs!"
"Yes!"
After bowing, Eunuch Deng left the Liangji Hall to deliver the decree.
"Your Majesty, since it's the morning court tomorrow, may I go pay my respects to my aunt?"
"Go, go! Better yet, take those good-for-nothings with you!"
Li Shimin waved his hand, a look of disdain on his face.
Fang Er exited Liangji Hall in confusion and asked a guard to lead him to the Ganlu Hall.
The paths in the palace were too difficult to remember, and it wouldn't be appropriate to go to the wrong place.
Arriving outside Ganlu Hall, after a minor eunuch requested permission, Fang Er entered.
Inside the hall, Empress Changsun was chatting with Chai Yue, while Changle squatted on the ground, pullingHaha's tail and giggling.
Fang Er froze when he took a glance.
That damned dog was holding down a dragon robe with its front paws and tearing at it.
This was utterly outrageous!
Yet, judging by the reactions of Empress Changsun and Changle, they didn't seem to care at all.
What, did earning a little money from selling sanitary napkins make them so indifferent to a dragon robe?
"Your subject, Fang Anzhi, greets the Empress and pays respects to my aunt."
BypassingHaha, he walked to the center of the hall and bowed to Empress Changsun.
Empress Changsun smiled and gestured to a chair nearby: "Anzhi is here, come and sit down to talk."
Fang Er sat down beside the chair and finally couldn't help himself.
"Aunt, what about the dragon robe?"
"Haha, it's nothing. His Majesty has gained some weight recently, and this one is too small to wear. It's fine that it was bitten."
"Who knew it saved the entire imperial family!"
Empress Changsun looked atHaha with a doting expression.
Fang Er:.......
That was a dragon robe! Even if it was too small, it was still a dragon robe! Millennia later, it would be a national treasure, and it was being ruined by a dog like this?
"Alright, it's your family's property, you decide."
He turned and sat down on the chair. As soon as he was seated, he heard a crisp cracking sound.
"Damn!"
By the time he reacted, he was already lying on the ground!
"Young master!"
Chai Yue was startled and quickly rushed over to help Fang Er up.
"Hahaha, Brother Anzhi is so clumsy, he didn't even look at the chair legs!"
Changle covered her mouth and snickered from the side.
Fang Er got up and took a look. Dammit!
The chair had four legs, but the back two were gnawed down to mere nubs by the dog. As soon as he sat down, the chair legs snapped.
Empress Changsun looked a bit embarrassed and turned to a palace maid: "Didn't I tell you to inspect the tables and chairs every day? Why did someone fall again!"
The two palace maids quickly knelt: "Your Majesty, please do not be angry. When we inspected this chair this morning, it was perfectly fine."
Fang Er rubbed the back of his head, cursing the dog. He had hit it just now.
Seeing the panicked look on the faces of the two palace maids, he spoke up to intercede for them: "Aunt, there's no need to be angry. It's a small matter, it's fine, it's fine."
"Aren't you going to get another chair!"
Empress Changsun glared at the palace maid with her almond-shaped eyes.
"Yes!"
The two palace maids quickly carried the chair away. Before long, they returned with a new one.
"Please, Marquis."
"Thank you, both of you."
Fang Er nodded his thanks, then circled the chair once, ensuring all four legs were intact before he sat down with relief.
"Pfft!~"
Empress Changsun couldn't help but laugh at his appearance.
Not long after Fang Er sat down, he saw several other silly dogs enter.
Two huskies, carrying large carp in their mouths?
An Alaskan Malamute walked in, holding a swaddled baby in its mouth and wagging its tail as if presenting a treasure. Several palace maids followed behind.
"Oh my, why did you bring Gaoyang here!"
Changle, seeing this, let go of Haha's tail. Haha, caught off guard, stumbled and fell headfirst. He looked back and saw his little master squatting beside the Alaskan Malamute, playing with the swaddled baby.
"Gaoyang?"
Fang Er was startled. What the hell! The daughter-in-law of the Fang family is this small?
And how could a dog easily carry this little one out?
Moreover, the palace maids merely bowed to Empress Changsun and then retreated to the side, paying no attention to Gaoyang in the dog's mouth.
As if sensing Fang Er's confusion, Empress Changsun smiled and said: "Anzhi, there's no need to worry, they won't hurt anyone."
Before Fang Er could react, another Alaskan Malamute swaggered in, ignoring everyone in the hall, and ran toHaha's side to tear at the dragon robe with it.
When the last Alaskan Malamute entered, Fang Er no longer knew how to describe his feelings.
This fellow had actually snatched a decree and was followed by two eunuchs running, covered in sweat.
As they ran, they cried out in a choked voice: "Ancestor of dogs, don't run! Hurry and return the decree to your humble servant!"
Fang Er:.......
This was completely outrageous; it had actually snatched the decree from the eunuch delivering it.
After chasing the Alaskan Malamute into Ganlu Hall, the two eunuchs immediately knelt on the ground.
"Empress, please help your humble servant retrieve the decree, otherwise, His Majesty will surely kill me."
Empress Changsun, acting as if this was a common occurrence, said to Changle.
"Lizhi, stop playing with Gaoyang for a moment and help them get the decree back."
"Okay!"
Changle pouted, walked up to the Alaskan Malamute, and stretched out her small hand: "Give it!"
The Alaskan Malamute tilted its head, looked at her, and actually obeyed, releasing the decree from its mouth. The decree fell into her hand with a "snap."
After thanking Changle profusely, the two eunuchs turned and left.
Fang Er also stood up and bowed to Empress Changsun to bid farewell.
"Aunt, it's getting late. My wife and I will take our leave."
"Won't you stay for dinner in the palace tonight?"
Empress Changsun seemed to want to chat with Chai Yue a bit longer.
But Fang Er didn't want to stay any longer. With these few brats around, if Li Shimin returned and really asked him to take them back, he would be the one to suffer.
It was better to leave them to their mischief in the palace.
"My son has just returned, and there are still matters to arrange at the estate. How about my wife comes to accompany you another day?"
"Alright, then I won't keep you two newlyweds."
"Come, bring that old ginseng that Duke Zhao sent the other day back for the county princess to nourish her body."
"Look at her thin little face, she's almost lost her features."
"Okay!"
Chai Yue was 1.68 meters tall and weighed only around 50 kilograms. In Empress Changsun's eyes, she was indeed a bit thin.
After receiving the ginseng from the palace maid, the couple bid farewell to Empress Changsun and left the imperial palace.
ps: Fourth update. Six chapters remaining!