Circumventing Fate 75 - Lay Off

While Lei Xing was still trying to figure out what she was supposed to be deriving from this embroidery piece.

The doors opened and Eunuch Li came in with some servants carrying in some equipment; a stool, an embroidery rack with a blank sheet strung on, a big pin cushion covered in long-threaded needles and a board.

Lei Xing knit her brows as she watched the servants arranging the equipment on Eunuch Li's direction.

After the arrangement was done to his satisfaction, Eunuch Li approached the Emperor, "Your majesty, it is ready."

Lei Xing raised an eyebrow at them.

{...He embroiders now? Seems he's a jack of all trades, very good...But why am I here? To appraise?...}

"En." The Emperor responded and then looked at Lei Xing with a smirk. Lei Xing's expression immediately became guarded.

The Emperor grabbed her hand and pulled her to the embroidery set up, and sat her down on the stool in front of the rack.

Eunuch Li also took the embroidery piece from the table and hung it up on the board in front of the rack. The actual situation finally dawned on Lei Xing, and she frowned.

{...You want me to embroider that? No way!...}

Lei Xing immediately turned to look at the Emperor, but before she could open her mouth to speak, he looked down at her and said, "I want you to embroider that for me."

"But-" Lei Xing opened her mouth to protest, but the Emperor cut her off with a smile, "Don't worry, it's okay if it takes you a few days. Take your time."

Lei Xing nervously laughed for a bit and honestly admitted, "Um, even if you gave me a whole year, I can't do that." 

{...Seriously, I'm not even sure where to begin to make that...}

"Really?" The Emperor asked, raising his eyebrows in false surprise.

Lei Xing tried to reason, "You have seen my embroidery before. My style is more...um, is more abstract with a focus on non-living subjects. The art of living things is very different" 

"Ah, I see..." The Emperor nodded in understanding, and Lei Xing thought she had gotten off the hook.

Then the Emperor continued, "In any case, just do your best, and then we'll see."

He pat her on the shoulder and then left her to work while he returned to his throne chair to deal with his own work.

Lei Xing watched him leave and was bewildered by this sudden event.

She turned at Eunuch Li in hope to appeal her case, but he just smiled and withdrew, leaving the two of them alone, each to their work.

Lei Xing sat there frowning at the blank sheet and then at the embroidery piece.

{...Where do you even start? The corner or the center?... Since there's more pink, the outside?...No, I'm pretty sure you start with the center...Okay, so do you just start with a random petal, is there a stem?...

...Which demon possessed this guy today for him to wake up and come up with this sort of punishment for me? Also, why should I be punished?! -_-)...*sigh* I'll guess I'll start somewhere...}

Lei Xing got up and walked over to the board to scrutinize the piece.

{...I don't see a stem...Well, it's like an aerial view, right? So just some random petal then..}.

Lei Xing sighed in annoyance and went back to sit down, glanced up at the Emperor who seemed to be busy, and then picked up a random thread.

{...There's no point in even thinking about it...Even if you gave me fifty years, I couldn't do that. He should have called Li Ru or someone else if he wanted to expand his collection!...

...*sigh* I'm just going to do whatever, and he can do whatever the hell he wants with the crap production -_-)...}

The Emperor covertly watched her contemplating and snickered to himself. 

After staring at the sheet for a while more, Lei Xing began to make a skeleton of a blue petal at the center after concluding that was the best strategy.

{...It's just like painting...You draw the outside first, then color in the insides...Doesn't seem too complicated when you think about it that way, just a lot of annoying work -_-)...}

After a short while, some maids brought in tea and snacks. As they set it down in front of her, Lei Xing glanced up at the Emperor with resentment.

{...Again your bribery skills are VERY POOR...Make my life miserable and then try to bribe me with food? -_-)'...You better pay me for this!...}

Time passed and her petal skeleton came to life, and she began working on "coloring" the inside. A few times, a maid came to add on more threaded needles as she used them up.

After a long time had passed, Eunuch Li entered the room and informed, "Your majesty, Prince Yi has arrived."

The Emperor looked up and smiled, "Ah, let him in." Then he glanced towards Lei Xing, who was looking up at him with an expectant face, anticipating her dismissal and said, "Continue."

Lei Xing let out a breath in annoyance and pouted. Prince Yi entered and bowed to the Emperor, and then glanced towards Lei Xing with raised eyebrows.

Lei Xing gave a half-smile and lightly bowed her head in greeting and then looked back down.

{...Don't ask me why I'm here because I don't know either...Your brother there apparently has issues -_-)'...}

Prince Yi also lightly bowed his head in her direction in greeting, while the Emperor was observing the exchange with a frown.

"Your majesty, you sent for me." Prince Yi said, looking up at the Emperor.

"Ah, I did send for you a long while ago...it seems you have been very busy, is there some other matter occupying your time?" The Emperor asked with a small smirk.

"Nothing like that...I was not feeling well and so arrived late." Prince Yi explained with a polite smile.

The Emperor looked at him with a raised eyebrow for a bit, "I see...it seems your health has not been good lately. As your brother I am worried, and so I have decided to alleviate some of your burdens."

Prince Yi knit his brows in confusion.

The Emperor continued, "It seems the Imperial library has been too tasking on you. From today on, you are relieved of your duties. Take this time to ease your mind and get enough rest. After all, health is the most important thing."

Prince Yi frowned, "I thank your majesty for your concern but my health is-"

"It is of no issue. I am aware that you have been very busy all these years, and so taking a full rest may not be something appealing to you..."

The Emperor then sighed and continued, "...How about this? The Zou representative will be in arriving in a few days, you can accompany the Zou Prince during his stay. A relaxing yet rewarding endeavor, wouldn't you say?"

Prince Yi knit his brows and asked, "I thought that task was for the Minister of Works?"

"It does not matter." The Emperor smiled and continued, "Our guest will be more comfortable with someone closer in age, and I assume you will be a much better company than the old man."

Prince Yi's frowned, "But-"

"You will not be busy at the time, and so there should no issue, or is there something I should know?" The Emperor asked with a raised eyebrow.

Prince Yi cupped his hands and bowed his head and explained, "No, it's just traditionally the Minister of Works handles matters pertaining to foreign guests. So-"

"Do you have any issue with Zou Kingdom or their representative?" The Emperor asked, cutting him off.

"No-"

"Then things will proceed like this then. Mee-"

{...If you're firing someone so they can rest why give them another job? Clearly, someone here does not understand what a vacation is. If thi-...}

"Ow!" Lei Xing exclaimed from the side, putting her finger in her mouth with a frown.

Then she glanced up to see both of them staring at her and she quickly removed it, gave a half-smile and said, "Sorry." And immediately looked back down.

"Did you hurt yourself?" The Emperor asked.

{...No, I just felt like interrupting your wonderful speech there -_-)...}

"I'm fine." Lei Xing responded without looking back up, a bit embarrassed. She had been distracted by the conversation they were having and ended up pricking her finger.

The Emperor then looked back at Prince Yi and continued, "Meet with the Minister of Works to discuss and arrange whatever you need."

Prince Yi reluctantly bowed and turned to make his way out. Then the Emperor spoke up again, "One more thing."

Prince Yi turned back, the Emperor then got up and came down holding a book and held it out with a smile to Prince Yi, "Return this for me."

Prince Yi looked down at the book, slightly knit his brows and glanced towards Lei Xing, who had her head down, busy with her embroidery.

The Emperor traced his eyes toward Lei Xing and then asked, "Is there a problem?"

Prince Yi looked at the Emperor and put on a smile, and took the book, "None at all. If there's nothing else, I will be leaving now."

"En." The Emperor simply responded, and Prince Yi turned and made his way out.

As the Emperor turned to return to his work, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Lei Xing looking towards the doors with a longing expression on her face.

{...I want to leave too, this sucks! T_T)...}

"You seem quite interested in my brother..."

When Lei Xing heard those words, she immediately flinched and turned to see the Emperor's face right next to hers.

Her eyes went wide, and she reflectively jerked back and lost her balance and would have fallen over if not for the Emperor circling an arm around her waist.

Lei Xing immediately went stiff and stared at the Emperor, who was staring at her with narrowed eyes. The Emperor continued to ask, "Are you?"

Lei Xing knit her brows in confusion.

{...Where the hell did that come from?... And can you let me go...please? I don't want to have to hurt you -_-)...}

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