After Losing My Memory, I Became My Rival's Palm-Sized Chirper - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Who Said You Were an Outsider

Qi Jia stayed outside and chatted with several Clan Elders for nearly the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Finally, amidst the Elders’ mixture of awe and sheer exhaustion, he “sent” them on their way.

Afterward, he transformed back into his chubby bird form and, with high spirits, flapped his little wings and flew into the Zhourong Hall.

“Yu Baixi, let me tell you—”

Relying on the Dragon Breath in his belly and his growing familiarity with the Heavenly Emperor, he sensed the other’s aura from afar in the largest pavilion. As usual, he flew in through the window.

However, upon entering, he discovered that there were others present besides Yu Baixi. One was Han Mo, and the other appeared to be a female general. Needless to say, this was likely Han Mo’s elder sister, General Huangyu, whom Shuoling Immortal had mentioned.

Qi Jia tilted his head and simply transformed back into human form.

Simultaneously, the Han siblings bowed to him. Han Mo performed the standard Heavenly greeting—hands folded with the left hand below the right—a sign of deep respect. His sister, Huangyu, followed suit.

“Junshang (Sovereign).”

“Greetings, Junshang.”

Qi Jia nodded with a smile. “Greetings, Generals Han.”

General Huangyu looked up at him after the salutation. “Does Junshang recognize this subordinate?”

“I’ve heard of you. Ah… but perhaps I recognized the General in the past?” Qi Jia asked tentatively.

General Huangyu’s expression was respectful. “This subordinate wouldn’t dare. Junshang possesses the grace of a celestial, as bright as the moon; in the past, I never had the honor of being known by Junshang.”

“…The General is too polite.”

Having long given up hope of finding someone in Yujing who remembered him, Qi Jia wasn’t obsessed with the past. However, he hadn’t expected this legendary general—whose strength was said to be second only to the Emperor and who possessed illustrious military merits—to be so courteous and humble.

“It is I who was abrupt,” Qi Jia said, pointing to his head with a light smile. “As you know, I have amnesia.”

Seeing his smile, General Huangyu lowered her head again in a gesture of submission, though she said nothing more. She wore her hair in a high ponytail and was dressed in clean, sharp attire. She looked heroic and spirited, clearly not someone prone to idle chatter or gossip.

Qi Jia withdrew his gaze and looked toward Yu Baixi behind the desk. The Emperor naturally asked, “What did you chat about with the Elders?”

“Nothing much, just casual talk.” Flashing a grin at the Emperor, Qi Jia said slowly, “I just felt they were all a bit too idle.”

Yu Baixi: “.”

Yu Baixi asked again, “Why did you run all the way to Zhourong Hall? Do you have business with me?”

“Originally, it was about Immortal Huaiji. I heard he openly impeached me in the main hall.”

Qi Jia continued, “But on my way here, I heard those Elders discussing that the evidence against Immortal Huaiji is conclusive, so it’s no longer an issue.”

“Eh?” Beside them, Han Mo was confused. “Immortal Huaiji did indeed impeach Junshang today, but what does that have to do with the crimes he committed?”

As the young General Han looked bewildered, General Huangyu had to look at her brother with eyes full of warning—warning him both not to speak too much and not to be so stupid.

From the seat of honor, the Emperor explained, “Your Sovereign was worried that I would intentionally target Huaiji simply because Huaiji submitted a memorial against him.”

The Han siblings: …

The Emperor not only rarely answered a question, but he also beat them to the punch!

Moreover, as His Majesty said this, his eyes naturally remained fixed on the Sovereign’s direction throughout, as if he knew what the other was going to say beforehand and understood him perfectly. It truly felt like… watching a family interact.

Even more so!

Their Sovereign quickly picked up the conversation: “Yes, that’s exactly what I thought at first.”

Qi Jia looked at Yu Baixi. “Immortal Huaiji colluding with the Demon Realm is suspicious.”

The Emperor nodded. “Indeed, it is.”

Qi Jia smiled at him again. His eyes curved into crescents; born with natural elegance, his smile made his features appear even more vivid.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Your Majesty, but this was a reasonable suspicion.”

Qi Jia turned back to the two Generals Han. “After all, as soon as Huaiji impeached me, Your Majesty detained him. Without a sufficient reason, others would say the Emperor is being biased or partial toward me—though many already believe His Majesty pampers me excessively.”

Yu Baixi: “…”

Han Mo: “It is only right and natural for His Majesty to protect Junshang!”

On this point, General Han’s view was surprisingly consistent with Shuoling Immortal’s. He followed up with admiration: “For Junshang to consider His Majesty’s reputation so deeply, it shows great devotion!”

Seeing Han Mo’s expression, which practically screamed ‘This is His Majesty’s good fortune,’ Qi Jia quickly laughed. “It’s alright. After all, if Your Majesty really sacrificed a relative for my sake, it would make things difficult for me as the Empress in the future.”

“…The Empress thinks quite a lot,” Yu Baixi remarked from above.

Though his tone was devoid of obvious emotion, this wasn’t the first time today the Emperor had been “talkative.”

Qi Jia was used to it and looked at Yu Baixi again. “I have to think ahead! I’m doing this for the sake of our future!”

Yu Baixi: “…”

General Huangyu, who had remained silent, looked at the two of them in shock. Her stoic demeanor, cultivated by years of guarding the fortress, was about to crumble. Her face was filled with undisguised astonishment, as if she were meeting these two for the first time.

Young General Han, as per his habit, just stood by with a silly grin.

After a moment, he remembered something and said, “By the way, Junshang, I heard you managed to get Heir Dezhao to leave? You’re amazing! How did you do it?”

“How did I get him to leave?”

Qi Jia smiled again, though his eyes held a hint of seriousness. “I simply asked him: if the Heir persists in using his own life as a threat, what exactly does he hope to achieve? The Heir couldn’t answer, found the situation pointless, and left.”

“Ha! Junshang is truly brilliant!”

Qi Jia spoke casually, but Han Mo clapped his hands in excitement. “His Majesty clearly said the matter is still under investigation and Immortal Huaiji is only temporarily detained. The Heir kneeling outside was indeed useless. It only put His Majesty in an awkward position.”

Though the young General Han was usually blunt, he understood the intricacies of the immortal clans very well and reacted quickly. “The Heir likely knew this as well, but because no one called him out, he shamelessly kept kneeling! Perhaps he hoped His Majesty would show leniency to his father under such pressure… but now that Junshang has exposed him, he felt ashamed and had no choice but to leave.”

“Exactly.”

Qi Jia nodded, his tone slightly sarcastic. “Those Clan Elders were worried about the Heir’s safety, but they also used the opportunity to gossip about the Emperor, calling His Majesty cold and heartless. But it wasn’t Your Majesty who asked him to kneel; what does it have to do with the Emperor? I naturally couldn’t let them act so wildly.”

“Indeed, they were reckless!” Han Mo added angrily.

“Others, like those close to the Emperor such as yourself, General Han, couldn’t easily intervene. Only I am different.”

At this point, Qi Jia’s expression became a bit smug. “I am an outsider; he can’t beg me for mercy. Yet, I am the prospective Empress. Representing Your Majesty to see him gave me enough authority. It was perfectly appropriate.”

“Junshang is wise!” Young General Han’s admiration grew deeper.

General Huangyu listened intently to the Sovereign. Her eyes were bright throughout, and though she didn’t say a word, her expression was one of respect and agreement.

Only the Emperor disagreed.

Yu Baixi’s voice was as cold and stern as ever: “Who said you were an outsider?”

When the Emperor spoke, both Generals Han looked at him in unison. This question was sharp and unexpected, leaving Qi Jia a bit slow to react. “…I’m not an outsider? At most, I’m his future aunt…”

He had asked the Heir to call him “Aunt/Uncle” earlier purely because it was their first meeting and he wanted to use his status as an elder to intimidate the boy. But instinctively, Qi Jia never felt like an elder, nor did he feel any connection to those immortal clan relatives…

However, reminded by Yu Baixi, after a brief pause, Qi Jia reached full enlightenment: “That’s right! I’m certainly not an outsider!”

The Emperor lifted his lashes but said nothing more.

Qi Jia’s face was filled with realization: “Your relatives are indeed my relatives. After all, I am your ‘Inner Person’ (Wife)!”

“…Cough.”

The Emperor’s expression became extremely unnatural, but he felt compelled to explain: “This Seat… only did not wish for you to suffer grievances while helping me.”

After reporting all matters to the Emperor, General Huangyu took her leave. Han Mo naturally went to see his sister off.

“So, Sis, didn’t I tell you? Once Junshang takes off his mask, he’s incredibly beautiful! You’re lucky; Junshang doesn’t often appear in human form!” Han Mo said as he walked beside his elder sister.

The Han parents had died early, and having been practically raised by his sister, Han Mo displayed a level of liveliness before her that was uncharacteristic of a general—he couldn’t help but bounce around her.

Han Mo added, “And I was right, wasn’t I? Junshang has become very different now!”

“You talk as if you used to know him well.”

In contrast to the enthusiastic Han Mo, General Huangyu was much more poised and steady, her tone quite cool. She hadn’t lied to the Sovereign earlier; Han Huangyu did not feel she had the right to be recognized or remembered by him, so she certainly wouldn’t claim to “know” him. And if she didn’t dare say she knew him, others—at least her brother—certainly had no right to.

Young General Han was immediately discouraged: “…”

“But I heard you say that His Majesty once said… if Junshang agrees to marry after recovering his memories, they will truly marry?” Han Huangyu suddenly asked after a moment of silence.

“Yes.”

Han Mo nodded bluntly. “His Majesty said it himself last night; that was the gist of it! In fact, His Majesty has said it many times. Every time, he says he must wait for Junshang to recover his memories, and if he is still willing to marry, they can only perform Dual Cultivation after the wedding… Eh? What’s wrong, Sis? Is there a problem?”

Han Mo looked at his sister strangely. Why was she suddenly asking this? She was never one for gossip.

General Huangyu, however, was in deep thought. “There is indeed a problem.”

Han Mo: “?? What problem?”

“You haven’t noticed?” Han Huangyu looked at her brother with even more disbelief.

“…Huh?”

Han Huangyu took a deep breath. “Setting aside the prerequisite of Junshang recovering his memories, His Majesty frequently says that if Junshang wants to marry, they will marry. The hidden meaning of this sentence is that whether they marry or not depends entirely on Junshang.”

Han Mo paused. “Right, that is what His Majesty means…”

“Then what about His Majesty’s own wishes?”

Han Huangyu glanced at her silly brother and simply rephrased it: “Have you ever thought… if it were someone else, even if that person needed help and said they wanted to marry the Emperor, what would their end be?”

Han Mo said, “That goes without saying! His Majesty would definitely refuse; there would be no possibility of consideration!”

Looking at her foolish brother again with a “disappointed in iron not becoming steel” expression, Han Huangyu asked, “But what about His Majesty’s attitude toward Junshang?”

“His Majesty’s attitude toward Junshang… My goodness! You’re right!!”

Han Mo suddenly stopped in his tracks. His gaze went blank for a second before exploding with brilliant light. “Sis, you mean His Majesty has long been deeply in love with Junshang? He keeps saying those things as a disguised confession?? The thing I’ve been hoping for is true?!!”

Han Huangyu didn’t answer immediately.

“If it were truly a confession, that would be one thing.”

She continued walking and shook her head, her expression not optimistic but rather more solemn. “I only fear that His Majesty, while always divinely wise and brilliant, is even more ‘dim-witted’ in these matters than you are.”

Han Mo: “?”

How was he dim-witted?

But regardless, the Emperor had never thought of refusing the Sovereign—that was already a huge step forward! For the entire Four Realms, this was quite explosive information!

Incidentally, General Han also thought of how hard the Prime Minister and others had pushed for marriage in court over the years, and the walls they had hit because of it…

Thinking through it all like a revolving lantern, he suddenly felt a bit sorry for them—

They were completely creating their own troubles!

Who said His Majesty never thought of getting married?