Chapter 330 - Bargain Bin

Monk Du knit his brows and sighed, "My Master does not like interfering with the lives of people. I made that decision on my own to take your mother along without consulting my Master. I thought that her case was different - is different, so I believed that I could persuade my master to see her..."

"... But when the Empress dowager did not show up at the appointed time, it appeared that she was not taking her situation as seriously as I thought. I was already taking a risk by taking her without permission and my Master is not someone to be taken lightly, he is not to be toyed with. So I decided to spare the trouble and return first to discuss your mother's case with him..." He finished politely, bowing again.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow, "And you didn't think to inform us of this conclusion before departing?"

"You know your mother better than I do... Do you think she would have easily accepted that?" Monk Du asked, looking up at the Emperor with a knowing expression.

Eunuch Li furrowed his brows and jumped in, "Do you know that an innocent woman died because of your ill-thought action?" He irritatedly asked, annoyed at the insult thrown at his "friend", the Empress dowager. Even though he had witnessed her irrationality, she was not entirely beyond reason or so he liked to believe.

Monk Du turned to Eunuch Li and solemnly said, "An unfortunate consequence... But every person is responsible for their actions. I am sure you know better than I the road that led to that woman's death."

Eunuch Li frowned, but before he could rebut, the Emperor glanced at Eunuch Li and said, "Enough..." They both knew the Empress dowager's situation better than anyone else. It was true that she would not have been receptive to the thought of having to wait for permission to be granted to get an audience with anyone. If the position of the Emperor meant nothing to the woman, what would some random monk?

"I take it that you have now received permission...from this Master of yours." The Emperor casually said, turning back to Monk Du.

"Yes, Your majesty..." He responded, bowing again.

"Alright then, your business is with the Empress dowager...Why am I here?" The Emperor asked in the same casual tone.

Monk Du slightly nodded and then got down on his knees, then cupped his hands, and bowed his head, "I have a favor to ask..."

The Emperor was not surprised and neither was Eunuch Li, The Emperor slightly let out a breath and then casually asked, "Does your ability to help the Empress dowager depend on this favor?"

Monk Du knit his brows and hesitated for a bit before responding, "... Possibly." 

The Emperor raised an eyebrow and lightly smirked, "Possibly?... Alright, what is this favor that you need?"

Monk Du bowed his head again, showing gratitude for the listening ear, then he went on to explain, "A long time ago, a member of the Chun family gave me a helping hand and in the process of this, they lost their life for the sake of my own battle. With his dying breath, the father entrusted his little daughter to me and pleaded that I secure his family bloodline. I took the girl under my wings and have lived by that promise...this promise extends to the lives of the twins of the Chun family. The same twins that have now branded fugitives with bounties placed on their heads..."

"They have committed crimes for which they have to answer for..." The Emperor simply informed.

"I am aware that they attacked the Empress dowager and that is a grave crime... but I ask for your understanding. They meant no harm to the Empress dowager, it was simply the desperate act out of worry for a loved one." Monk Du responded bowing his head again, "I am sure Your Majesty can appreciate a will to protect... Please accept this apology." Monk Du finished, kowtowing.

The Emperor was quiet for a bit and Eunuch Li worriedly looked at the Emperor, trying to send a message with his eyes but the Emperor was not looking his way, but to his relief, the Emperor went on to say, "... I can understand that they felt panicked in such situation and in their panic, they became reckless. Considering that they simply retrieved their person and sought to retreat, a pardon is possible."

Monk Du's looked up with a smile and bowed again, "I thank your Maj-"

"Don't thank me yet." The Emperor interjected, causing Monk Du to blink up at him in confusion. The Emperor then went on to say, "Since you brought it up, there is something I want to ask you..." The Emperor calmly interjected. 

"Please ask." Monk Du swiftly went, although he did feel that things were going to be as simple as he hoped. 

"Are you the one responsible for the disappearing act the group put on?" The Emperor casually asked with a raised eyebrow.

Monk Du knit his brows again, hesitated, and then responded, "Yes, but...It's not something that can just be given to anyone..." He said politely bowing.

The Emperor lightly snorted and nodded, "Of course..." While it was true that it would be useful to have such a technique in his arsenal, the Emperor was honestly not too interested in pursuing it. 

"Are you responsible for providing them with that magical seyu drug they used to use to poison my Empress?" The Emperor asked, slightly narrowing his eyes in irritation at the thought of the resulting trouble that drug had led to. 

Monk Du froze and blinked up at the Emperor in surprise, "Poisoning?"

"Is that a yes or no?" The Emperor asked with a frown, he was not in the mood for playing games. His session with Prince Yi was enough for one day.

Monk Du knit his brows in confusion, "I am responsible... But the seyu drug is nothing poisonous. It's purely medicinal -"

The Emperor's lips twitched and he bit out in a low voice, "It was used as aphrodisiac...against her will, in a plot to shame her, that is poisoning..."

Monk Du frowned, still confused. Before deciding to leave for the Long palace, he had asked Chun siblings to tell him what their situation was with Long country. After hearing how they had attacked the Empress dowager's group, he decided it was something he could bargain for mercy with the Emperor. After all, the whole thing was due to his disappearance. 

But now the Emperor was talking about poisoning his Empress, completely blindsiding him. After seeing Lei Xing and the Emperor that day in the palace, he had warned Chun Hua to leave Lei Xing and the Emperor alone and let go of whatever vengeance she sought with Long country. She was naturally unyielding but he did his best to persuade her, despite not being able to tell the reasons behind his warning. He simply left it at that they were protected by divine providence and in the end, she had promised to let it go and that she would find a time to quietly exit the palace. 

But now, it was clear she had not heeded his warning. As if that was not enough, they withheld the information from him. 

The Emperor observed Monk Du's reaction and could see that the man was probably kept in the dark as to the true extent of the deeds of his charges. 

The Emperor lightly scoffed and went, "I believe that they did not mean the Empress dowager harm and hence they are pardoned for that.... but I do not believe that they did not mean my Empress harm and therefore I am of no mind to pardon them for that. And so now I ask again, does your ability to help the Empress dowager depend on this favor?"

Monk Du remained as he was with his tightly drawn together. While it was true that initially taking the Empress dowager to his master was up to his own whim, it was no longer the case. This time, his master had specifically requested that he bring her as soon as possible. But the Emperor did not know that and he hoped to use this as leverage.

But now it seemed that the Empress dowager's health did not have as much value as a grudge for his Empress. Tales of the Long Emperor's affection for her had spread far and wide, so Monk Du was aware of it. Monk Du thought of requesting an audience with Lei Xing so he could appeal to her and appease whatever anger she still held towards the Chun siblings. Thinking that if she was appeased and talked to the Emperor on the Emperor on their behalf, perhaps the Emperor would change his mind. But...

Monk Du glanced up at the Emperor who was calmly looking down at him with a blank expression. There was no way this Emperor was going to agree for him to have an audience with her. Jumping his way around the palace was also not ideal either, it could cause more problems than it could solve. 

After a long while of Monk Du's silence, the Emperor sighed and went, "Since that is the case... You can leave."

Monk Du blinked and immediately raised his head, but before he could speak. Eunuch Li turned to the Emperor and exclaimed, "Your majesty! Yo -" 

The Emperor raised a hand to silence him, "The Empress dowager is recovering well. She has survived with this for so long and will continue to survive. I will not negotiate with those who wish mine harm..."

Eunuch Li frowned, this was exactly what he was worried about - that the Emperor would ignore the right path because of Lei Xing. This was why he chose to stay to watch over this exchange. He, like the Emperor, had suspected that the reason Monk Du was requesting an audience with the Emperor was regarding the Chun siblings. It was not ideal, but given that the Empress dowager's ailment, he thought it should still be worth it.

Eunuch Li's frown deepened, he was going to argue and plead on the Empress dowager's behalf, but then Monk Du asked, "Aren't you curious as to why I came now, at this time?... It only took me a few days to reach my master... so naturally, it should have taken only a few days for me to return here. Yet it took me months..."