eurekapd Chapter 130 The Prime Minister is actually a woman, and His Majesty the Emperor drools over her.
Chapter 130 The Prime Minister is actually a woman, and His Majesty the Emperor drools over her.
The little boy grinned happily, revealing a row of clean, white teeth. He stretched out his little hand expectantly towards Mu Wanwan.
Mu Wanwan smiled slightly, gently raising her slender fingers and hooking them together with the little boy's pinky.
Zhao Yihan, who had been quietly observing this scene from the side, was completely stunned.
His gaze was fixed on Mu Wanwan, whose exquisite and beautiful face was radiant with a bright smile, a smile as beautiful and captivating as a blooming flower, making one unable to resist being charmed.
Especially when she talks to the little boy, her voice is soft, melodious, and pleasant to the ear.
With just a few words, the little boy was overjoyed and obedient.
So, led by the little boy, they followed him through a path full of thorns, and after many twists and turns, they finally arrived at a bottomless cave.
"Madam, my mother and sister are down here."
Mu Wanwan stood at the cave entrance and looked down. It was pitch black and bottomless.
In the past, when filming movies, the caves in such scenes were generally not very deep. This cave, however, was much deeper than the caves she had entered in previous TV dramas.
"Little friend, it's so deep, how are you going to get down there?!"
"Wait me a moment!"
He carefully searched through the dense grass and soon found a rope that looked somewhat old.
One end of the rope was tightly tied to the trunk of a thick tree next to the cave, while the other end was completely hidden by waist-high weeds.
"Madam, please look, this is my simple ladder." As he spoke, he skillfully and deftly tied the rope securely to his body.
Then, he began to slowly and cautiously climb down the rock wall at the cave entrance, clinging to the rope. His small figure soon disappeared into the deep cave.
Not long after, a little boy's clear and loud voice came from the dark depths of the cave: "Madam, I have safely reached the bottom of the cave. Now you can all relax!"
If this were a scene from a movie or TV show, the actors could easily perform such dangerous stunts by being suspended by wires.
Now, facing such a deep cave, with only this rope of not-so-good quality, Mu Wanwan's heart couldn't help but pound.
Suddenly, she felt her waist tighten. She instinctively turned around and found that the person holding her was Mu Chenfeng.
He said softly, "My lady, don't be afraid. I will take you down with me. Remember to hold me tight!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Yihan immediately stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Your Majesty, this cave is unfathomably deep and extremely dangerous. To ensure your health, I humbly request that you allow me to take Prime Minister Mu down to investigate the situation first, and then I will report back to you after I have ascertained the facts."
Upon hearing this, Mu Chenfeng's large hand, which was gripping Mu Wanwan's waist, tightened slightly as if out of control.
Mu Wanwan felt a tightening around her waist, followed by a slight pain.
Knowing Mu Chenfeng as she did, she naturally understood what his actions meant—this high and mighty emperor must be jealous at this moment!
Mu Chenfeng's face was ashen, and he coldly said, "Now that I'm here, let's go and see."
Before he could finish speaking, and without even giving Zhao Yihan a chance to interject, he had already taken action.
With his right hand, he forcefully wrapped his arms around Mu Wanwan's slender waist, while his left hand firmly gripped a rope. Then, with a flash, he leaped down like a bolt of lightning.
Mu Wanwan was startled by Mu Chenfeng's sudden action, but she quickly regained her composure.
She subconsciously stretched out her arms and hugged Mu Chenfeng's broad and strong waist tightly, as if only in this way could she find a sense of security.
With her eyes tightly closed, she gently pressed her face against Mu Chenfeng's broad and warm chest. From above, Mu Chenfeng's deep voice, tinged with frustration and dissatisfaction, came: "I really regret letting you come out dressed as a woman. I really want to gouge out Zhao Taiwei's eyes with my own hands, so that he will never be able to see again for all eternity!"
Mu Mu is Mu Chenfeng's woman, and she belongs to him alone!
Since leaving the palace, countless men have cast greedy glances at her along the way.
These guys are all incredibly audacious, daring to covet Mu Wanwan's stunning beauty.
Not to mention Grand Commandant Zhao, Mu Chenfeng wished he could gouge out the eyes of all the other men.
Because in his heart, only he could appreciate and fully enjoy Mu Wanwan's beautiful face.
Tsk tsk tsk... Jealous men are terrifying.
She sighed. How could this jerk be so possessive? He would get jealous even if another man just glanced at him.
"Chen Feng, do he see me as a man? It's normal for men to see other men, calm down!"
"Hmph! No way, I want compensation!"
That scoundrel, she could already guess what kind of compensation he wanted.
"Can we talk about it later?"
During their conversation, the two had reached the bottom, where the little boy was waiting for them with a torch.
"Madam, sir, please come with me."
The little boy led the way, holding a torch, through a narrow passage. A faint light could be seen ahead as they went in.
In the middle was a large rock, big enough for two or three adults to lie down on.
A thick, tangled layer of weeds covered the surface, which seemed to have been growing for a long time, intertwining to form a slightly messy mat.
On top of this patch of weeds lay a tattered cotton quilt, covered with patches and signs of wear, clearly indicating that it had been used for a long time.
At this moment, a woman, her face as pale as paper and barely breathing, lay quietly on the quilt. Her eyes were tightly closed, her lips were bloodless, and she looked extremely weak, as if she might breathe her last at any moment.
Beside the woman lay an infant still in swaddling clothes. The baby was crying loudly from hunger, but because it was so small and weak, its cries sounded feeble and feeble.
He stared with wide, round eyes at the dark cave ceiling above, his gaze clear and innocent, evoking pity in those who saw him.
As they ventured deeper into the cave, the temperature around them dropped further. Mu Wanwan involuntarily shivered, a chill creeping up from her feet to her heart.
She suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder. When she turned around, she saw that Mu Chenfeng had silently taken off his thick coat and gently draped it over her shoulders.
Mu Wanwan felt a surge of emotion, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She was touched by Mu Chenfeng's thoughtfulness. He paid attention to her every move and took great care of her, making her feel incredibly warm and happy.
"I can manage. You should wear this coat, but don't catch a cold."
Mu Wanwan said softly, while trying to return the clothes on her shoulder to Mu Chenfeng.
However, Mu Chenfeng resolutely shook his head, refusing to take the clothes. He said in a deep and gentle voice, "I'm a man, what does this little bit of cold matter to me? Listen to me, put it on quickly, this is my order!"
The little boy standing to the side silently watched the loving couple in front of him, and couldn't help but think of his own parents who had passed away at a young age.
His father and mother used to be just as loving and supportive of each other. But now, his father has passed away, leaving only his mother and him to depend on each other.
As he thought about it, the little boy's eyes gradually welled up with tears, which seemed about to spill over at any moment.
"If only my father were still here..." the little boy murmured to himself, his voice filled with an undisguised sadness and longing.
Hearing the little boy's words, Mu Wanwan felt heartbroken. She slowly reached out and gently stroked the top of his head, hoping to dispel the pain in his heart.
"Is this your mother?"
Mu Wanwan asked softly, her gaze falling on the woman in front of her, whose face was as pale as paper and whose appearance was extremely haggard.
The little boy's eyes were red-rimmed, and glistening tears welled up in them. Hearing the question, he nodded heavily, then quickly broke the steamed bun in his hand in half and carefully offered it to the woman's chapped lips, saying expectantly, "Mother, I met a kind lady today. She gave me a big, white steamed bun! Please eat some, okay? That way you'll get better soon!"
Seeing this, Mu Wanwan felt a pang of sadness and quickly stepped forward to help.
She picked up a porcelain bowl filled with water from the side, slowly walked to the woman's side, squatted down, gently brought the rim of the bowl to the woman's bloodless lips, and whispered, "Drink some water to soothe your throat first."
The woman opened her mouth with difficulty, took a small bite of the steamed bun, and then sipped some water.
After a while, she opened her tightly closed eyes slightly, and her face gradually regained some color. She finally had the strength to speak.
She said gratefully in a weak and hoarse voice, "Thank you for saving me, Madam. I have no way to repay you... Although this child is still young, he is quite clever and quick-witted. If you don't mind, Madam, please let him stay by your side and serve you."
After saying this, the woman looked at the little boy beside her with a look of guilt and reluctance.
Upon hearing this, Mu Wanwan quickly shook her head and refused, saying, "It was just a small favor. The child is your precious treasure; how could you give him away so easily?"
As a woman herself, Mu Wanwan was well aware of the deeper meaning behind the woman's actions.
In such harsh and difficult living conditions, this woman had a newborn baby girl crying for milk and needed to take care of herself. Her own life was hanging by a thread, let alone protecting her two children.
As the saying goes, "Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them." The woman knew she could not provide her children with a stable life and future, so she made this painful decision in the hope of finding a way for her children to survive.
This profound maternal love deeply moved Mu Wanwan, and she also felt immense sympathy for the family's plight.
The woman knew that she and her newborn baby were likely to die. If she could find a good family for her son before that happened, it would be the last thing she could do for her child.
Upon hearing this, the little boy burst into tears, clinging to the woman and refusing to let go. "Mother, please don't abandon me! I'll go out begging and do hard labor to earn money right away. I won't be a burden to you. Please don't abandon me!"
Mu Wanwan's eyes also reddened, and tears fell as she watched Mu Chenfeng, who was watching everything in front of her, clench her fists tightly.
Unbeknownst to him, countless other families are suffering the same fate.
In the imperial court, ministers only reported good news and never bad news; they were not worthy of wearing official hats.
"Little friend, how about we make a deal?"
The little girl raised her hand and wiped her tears and snot on her sleeve, her eyes blank, not knowing what promise she had made to herself.
"If I take responsibility for your safety and basic needs, will you join the army and serve your country when you grow up?"
Upon hearing this, the little boy shook his head vigorously, shouting resolutely, "I don't want to! Father has already said that the current emperor is nothing but a dog emperor! If it weren't for his arbitrary and reckless taxation, our family wouldn't be in such a miserable state!"
Upon hearing the little boy's words, Mu Wanwan subconsciously turned her gaze to Mu Chenfeng, who was standing to the side.
His face was gloomy, his thin lips were pressed into a straight line, and his eyes were cold.
Mu Wanwan couldn't help but secretly lament that this little boy was actually cursing the emperor in front of him. What if he angered him?
Thinking of this, Mu Wanwan felt her heart leap into her throat. She looked at Mu Chenfeng, shook her head slightly, and told him to hold back and not get angry.
In his heart, Mu Chenfeng thought, if he hadn't come here in person, how would he have heard the true words of the people? The arbitrary taxation had forced this family to live in such a deep cave. He was angry not because the little boy had scolded him, but because he was angry at himself for not coming out sooner. Perhaps many people would not have had to suffer.
The woman was also sobbing uncontrollably. Since losing her husband, she had been crying every day and could not escape from the great grief.
Now that her son has brought it up again, her long-suppressed emotions have surged forth like a flood bursting its banks.
Her slender, jade-like hands trembled as she gently wiped away the tears streaming down her face. A low sob escaped her throat as she wept intermittently, “My lady, you truly do not understand the situation! The taxes collected by the government increase year by year, and who would have thought that this year some sudden land tax and birth tax would appear? My husband could not bear this injustice and had a fierce argument with the tax collectors. Those arrogant soldiers beat my husband to death. Waaah…”
At this point, she broke down in tears, her body trembling violently. The little boy beside her pitifully called out to his mother in a soft voice, trying to pull her out of her grief.
After calming herself down a bit, she continued, "My family was already destitute. We barely managed to make ends meet by my husband's hard work on the land. But now, even my only pillar of support has collapsed, leaving us, a widow and her children, with no one to rely on. I really don't know how we're going to live from now on. I'm afraid I won't live much longer!"
"Dust Wind..."
Mu Wanwan looked at Mu Chenfeng pitifully. Mu Chenfeng was well aware of the plight the people were facing and knew he was responsible for it.