EMPRESS LIU

~SIX~

Liu Changsheng was kneeling in front of the fourth prince who was equally surprised as was Mu Ling.

"Gong Zi! Why do you kneel?"

Liu Changsheng shows an ironic smile. He knows the results of the emperor's wrath. And he hurt the fourth prince. If this reaches the emperor he'll be thrown to the dungeon in an instant without any questions.

"I hurt the forth prince. It would not be forgiven by the emperor. So I request fourth prince to please inflict any injury on me so that I could at least have a chance to be forgiven."

Mu Ling gasps instantly. He knew better than to speak in presence of a prince. Being a servant, he knew his place very well. But what is his young master saying? Didn't young master like the fourth prince? Then why does he sound so cold?

"Liu Gong Zi! I am the one who saved you from the bandits. What right would I still have left of taking pride on being a saviour if I inflict injury on the same beauty I saved?"

"My apologies, your majesty, I don't think I have properly thanked you for saving me." Liu Changsheng moves his hand forward gathering them together in a salute then continues. "The fifth child of the Liu household, Liu Changsheng, thanks his majesty the fourth prince for being his saviour."

Then Liu Changsheng bows down in a kowtow. Properly thanking the prince for his grace. But he had other things to say too.

"But please be gracious to forgive my audacity as I say this. From now on, refrain from calling me a beauty. And it would be for the better if we don't cross path. Even in god's grace if we do, let's treat each other as strangers. I would rather be a normal citizen of the emperor's dynasty than hold a debt of calling the emperor's fourth son my saviour."

The to be Xiang Wang Hong Daqing looked at the beauty in front him, amused. From the very first day this young man has caught his attention. So when he saw the young master of the Liu household be taken by the bandits he did the first thing that came to his mind. He urged his horse Xiao Bai to follow the bandits and save the distressed and unconscious fragile young man in the end. Now that he thinks of it, he won't give up on crossing path with this Gong Zi again. So he took a gamble.

"No. I'd rather you pay me back for it."

The slight change in temperament in the eyes of the young man who always carries a fan caught the attention of the prince. Is that annoyance he saw? Did he see wrong? Can't be!

Liu Changsheng was stunned, even though he concealed it well he knew the annoyance in his eyes were pretty evident. "Ok then. I will owe your majesty a meal and only that. My request still remains."

Hong Daqing smiles a mischievous smile. He was ecstatic he finally scored a meal with this young man he always wanted to interact more with. And finally he was getting a chance.

This smile threw Liu Changsheng off guard. He knows this smile very well. But this smile was directed to him a long while ago. When life in palace wasn't so complicated for him, yet. But one thing make him think even more. What is happening? Why is the timeline messed up? What is the variable that changed this even to be pulled forward?

"And please do not worry Gong Zi. The emperor would not know about this."

Giving a soft adoring smile the fourth prince left as if vanishing in thin air. Liu Changsheng just stood there motionless. He didn't know what to think.Mu Ling's voice brought him back to the reality.

"Gong Zi, we should go back. It's getting late."

Liu Changsheng just followed his little servant boy silently still deep in thought. If anything changed then the events will be different from his past life and his efforts calculated on the events in his past life might not work. Why? What exactly happened?

A week after his fated meeting with the fourth prince in this life, Liu Changsheng's father planned a journey overseas for business again. Just like Liu Changsheng's past life this event was the exact same. So he could feel safe to say that this time too he'll be able to predict the result and deflect any harm from his father. The night before the old merchant sets off on his journey, the youngest son of the family went to the old man's study.

A slight knock sounded on the study room door. After getting permission from the old man inside the room a young man entered. His aura was primarily very delicate and soft. But only the man himself knew how complicated he was inside.

The white and light blue hanfu fluttered with his pace as he went up to the man sitting in front of a study table.

"Shengsheng. Do you have anything to ask for my son?"

"Yes father."

In this months after the bandit attack the changes in Liu Changsheng's behaviour was becoming evident to his family members.

"Shengsheng. You've been behaving strange of late. Is there something that's bothering you, my dear?"

Shengsheng looks at his father. He knows what's gonna happen as a result of this overseas trip. That year after he was accused of trying to poison the secondary wife of the Xiang Wang the whole palace went against him. The unborn child of the fourth prince was killed that night. Of course they all went against him. As a result they all tried to destroy him and his family. This overseas trip brought the old merchant a huge amount of fortune and that in the end was used against him.

And Third young master Liu won't let that happen ever again. He knows he's not going to marry the Xiang Wang in this life. But better safe than sorry.

"Father, in this trip will you please take Changsheng along with you?"

The old father looks at his young son, who never was interested in the family. But he's been trying to help his father these days, giving him informations that even his oldest son couldn't find.

"A-Sheng. If there is something that is bothering you, tell father, will you?"

Changsheng knew he can't just reveal that he's not from this time. So he took the safest route.

"This son worries about father's safety."

Suddenly? Is what Liu Huahua wanted to say. But instead gave out a sigh. He's had a shadow guard following his son for some time now and found out something about Changsheng. So he had no way but to agree.

"Okay. Go prepare yourself and tell Mu Ling to be ready too."

The old merchant heave out another sigh looking at his youngest son's receding back.

He needed to have a talk with his son was his thought.

Hey guysss here's a new chapter... Took me long enough to update, so sorry... I'll be regular from now onwards... Thank you so much for waiting patiently...

Enjoy
All the love
C 💕