Suppressing his inner emotions, Abraham Lincoln looked up at Emily Thompson, shook his head, and said, “You know, sometimes I can be quite stubborn too.”

Emily Thompson pressed her lips together slightly. “If you stay, my empire will be your empire. In three years, the empire of the Great Tang will be yours.”

To be offered the throne of a nation—what a tempting condition. Yet Abraham Lincoln looked at Emily Thompson and still shook his head. “Being an emperor involves too many worries. I’m not cut out for it; you should keep the throne. I’m better suited to wandering. Look, even that chubby girl couldn’t withstand a single punch from me. If I run into any monsters on the road, I’ll just punch them to death.”

Emily Thompson stared blankly at Abraham Lincoln, her beautiful brows furrowing together, a little angry, a little sad, making her look all the more pitiable.

Although Emily Thompson was very beautiful, Abraham Lincoln truly felt no romantic feelings for her at the moment. His feelings for her needed time to shift from seeing her as a man to seeing her as a woman.

Having spent eighteen years in the monastery, Abraham Lincoln had never really taken the monastic rules seriously, but he was indeed indifferent to matters between men and women. In other words, he’d been single in both his past and present lives.

The atmosphere in the room was a bit awkward. Every time Abraham Lincoln was alone with Emily Thompson, it was awkward. It seemed the saying “men and women are different” really was true.

“Come, let’s drink. I’m leaving tomorrow, so keep me company for a few drinks tonight.” Abraham Lincoln picked up the wine pot, poured another jade cup full, and downed it in one gulp.

Emily Thompson walked over to another low table, sat down, poured herself a cup, and drank it all in one go. Her red lips looked a bit seductive in the candlelight, and a rosy flush spread across her fair cheeks from the wine, making her look especially enchanting.

The two drank in silence. Emily Thompson no longer tried to persuade him to stay.

“So beautiful.” After half a pot of wine, Abraham Lincoln’s mind was a little hazy. Looking at Emily Thompson’s pretty, slightly flushed face, he couldn’t help but praise her sincerely. His body swayed, and he collapsed to the floor. In the last second before closing his eyes, he thought, “Damn, I didn’t expect to be drugged again this time.”

In his daze, Abraham Lincoln only remembered someone helping him onto a big bed, then taking off his shoes, removing his kasaya… He forgot everything after that.

……

Early the next morning, Abraham Lincoln woke up groggily. As he thought back, his eyes suddenly widened. He lifted the bright red quilt and looked down—his under-robe seemed to have been undone.

With a strange expression, Abraham Lincoln turned his head, only to meet the gaze of Emily Thompson, who was propped up on one hand beside him, lazily watching him.

Her black hair was spread across the bright red quilt. One fair, tender arm and her fragrant shoulder were exposed outside the covers—who knew if she was wearing anything underneath. A charming, faint smile played at her lips. Her posture and expression were as satisfied as a she-wolf that had just eaten a lamb.

“No… no way.” Abraham Lincoln’s lips trembled as he edged toward the side of the bed, muttering with a wry smile, “That fake wine really is trouble.”

Emily Thompson looked at Abraham Lincoln, stuck out her pink tongue to lick her lips, and narrowed her eyes slightly. “No way what? Abraham Lincoln, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what happened last night?”

Abraham Lincoln reacted as if pricked by a needle, jumping straight out of bed, slipping on his shoes, grabbing his kasaya, and running outside. As he ran, he shouted, “I don’t remember anything! You can’t just make me take responsibility!”

Emily Thompson sat up, watching Abraham Lincoln’s retreating figure with a bright, carefree laugh. Her smiling eyes and brows were even more radiant than the morning sun.

The doors of the bedchamber closed. The bright red silk quilt slipped from her shoulders, the red dress draped at her side, and the white chest wrap on her chest layered upon itself. Her smile gradually faded, and a single tear slid down her cheek, falling onto the quilt and slowly spreading.

……

Jogging out of the bedchamber, Abraham Lincoln straightened his kasaya as he walked toward the imperial garden. All the palace maids he passed covered their mouths and giggled, making him feel very guilty.

Sitting on a bench by the lake in the imperial garden, he thought for a long time but still couldn’t remember what had happened last night. Did he really lose control after drinking?

After concentrating for a while, Abraham Lincoln shook his head again. Probably not. He knew exactly what kind of person Emily Thompson was. Although he still felt a bit uneasy, he managed to get over it.

Abraham Lincoln was well aware that he didn’t have any romantic feelings for Emily Thompson at the moment. Childhood friends and a pair of childhood friends were two different things. Even if one childhood friend had now become a girl, feelings didn’t change that quickly.

He thought the journey west would be delayed for a few more days, but unexpectedly, Emily Thompson drafted the travel documents at the morning court and announced to the ministers that Abraham Lincoln would be traveling west to fetch the scriptures. Naturally, the ministers all praised the decision.

Abraham Lincoln planned to travel alone. After all, the journey west was long, and bringing attendants would only be a burden. But Emily Thompson insisted he take two foreign slaves with him, saying they were loyal and strong, could help carry luggage, and at the very least could serve as a meal for any monsters they encountered.

Knowing that Emily Thompson was worried about him, Abraham Lincoln didn’t refuse again. It was said that those two muscular foreign slaves could run faster than horses.

Emily Thompson led a group of ministers to see him off outside the Chang’an gate. After the ministers and Abraham Lincoln exchanged farewells, Emily Thompson waved her hand, and everyone withdrew, leaving only Abraham Lincoln and Emily Thompson standing by the horse.

“Be careful on the road,” Emily Thompson said softly, hands behind her back.