The teachers standing in front of the carriage looked at the crying children and sighed deeply.
Their school had seen many cohorts, but this was the first time they had witnessed such a scene at the moment of departure.
“Alright, alright, get on the carriage and go home. You’ll see each other again.”
The teachers had no choice but to continue comforting and coaxing them.
After much fussing, the tearful children finally parted and got back on their carriages. Even then, they lifted the curtains, sticking their heads out to catch a last glimpse of their friends.
Ah Wu was in the same carriage as the little one.
Ah Wu was taking him home.
The little one, supported by Ah Wu’s hand around his waist, stuck his head out of the carriage and waved energetically at the others. “Take care, everyone! We’ll see each other again! Goodbye!”
“Little Seven, goodbye!!!”
The children’s voices rang out, but as the carriages moved on, their shouts grew fainter and fainter.
Eventually, their carriages split, and the little one, still craning his neck, could no longer see anyone.
He laid in Ah Wu’s arms, wiping his tears, choking out, “I hate saying goodbye the most.”
Ah Wu patted his head gently, comforting him in a low voice. “Goodbyes are for the next time you meet. Don’t be sad.”
“The chief examiner has prepared a gift for you. Do you want to see it?”
“No.”
The little one was too upset to even look at the gift.
Ah Wu softly patted his back, and soon, he soothed him to sleep.
Even in his sleep, the little one would occasionally let out a few cries.
Ah Wu gazed down at him, never taking his eyes off him for even a second.
He knew that once he took the little one home, it would be a long time before he saw him again.
In that moment, Ah Wu truly had the urge to take the little one back with him.
He continued to watch over the little one as the carriage moved, while outside, the guards of Qi Dynasty accompanied them.
The guards, standing watch outside, whispered to each other when they noticed the silence inside the carriage.
“The person accompanying our young prince, do you think he’s a prince from another kingdom?”
“I don’t know, but our young prince is quite popular.”
They had all witnessed the farewell scene earlier at Guan Shan Residence.
It was a sight that, as one teacher had mentioned, had never been seen in previous years.
“No matter where our young prince goes, people always like him.”
“That’s true.”
The guards whispered for a bit but didn’t go on for long. Whoever was inside with their young prince must also be someone important, and it wouldn’t be good if their conversation was overheard.
The carriage continued on its way.
Ah Wu, not feeling tired, kept watching the little one, from the moment he fell asleep to the moment he woke up.
While the little one was sleeping, Ah Wu applied a compress to his eyes to prevent them from hurting when he woke up.
The little one’s skin was delicate, and even with the compress, his eyelids were still red, making him look quite pitiful.
“Don’t rub your eyes.”
Ah Wu gently removed the little one’s small clenched fists, stopping him from rubbing his eyes. “The teacher said rubbing your eyes isn’t good for them.”
The little one stopped rubbing his eyes when he heard that. He tilted his small face up, asking Ah Wu to blow on his eyes.
“My eyes feel uncomfortable.”
“I’ll blow on them for you.”
Ah Wu gently held his soft little face and carefully blew on his eyes.
The little one obediently let him blow on his eyes, but after a while, he turned his face away, signaling that he didn’t want it anymore.
“Ah Wu, I haven’t seen my daddy and mother for a long time.”
“You’ll see them when we go back.”
“Yeah.”
After sitting in the carriage for so long, the little one had initially been comfortable, but after a while, he didn’t want to sit anymore.
He wanted to sit on Ah Wu’s head and have Ah Wu carry him while running.
Hearing this request, Ah Wu waited until the carriage stopped for a rest and then ran with the little one perched on top of his head.
Before they left, the little one wrote a note to the guards, telling them the route they were taking and where they would wait.
After leaving the note, Ah Wu ran off with the little one on his head, disappearing from sight.
The guards panicked when they realized the young prince was gone. Even though they found the note, they still couldn’t help but worry.
They rode quickly, following the directions on the note.
Their horses were fast, but no matter how fast they rode, they couldn’t match Ah Wu’s running speed.
The little one, sitting atop Ah Wu’s head, had his hair blown back by the wind as they sped along.
After sitting on Ah Wu’s head for quite a while, the little one finally told him to stop. They returned to their original form and sat down to have tea at a roadside tea house.
When the guards finally arrived, they spotted the young prince in the tea house and breathed a sigh of relief.
“You made it.”
The little one sat in a chair, drinking tea and enjoying some snacks, his short legs happily swinging.
He pushed a pile of food on the table toward the approaching guards. “Eat up, I ordered it for you.”
The guards ate the food, but they were puzzled. “Your Highness, how did you get ahead of us?”
They had been riding hard, yet somehow, they still hadn’t been able to catch up with the young prince.
The little one didn’t have a great answer to the guards’ question. He nibbled on his snack, mumbling incoherently.
Ah Wu, sitting beside him, noticed the little one’s discomfort and spoke calmly, “I took him on horseback.”
Guards: “…”
The guards couldn’t help but wonder, “We were riding too, so how were we still slower?”
“Your Highness, we haven’t reached Qi Dynasty yet, and the road may still be dangerous. It’s safer for you to stay in the carriage. Don’t you agree?”
The little one shook his head, still not wanting to sit in the carriage.
Seeing this, the guards felt helpless.
After running for half the journey on top of Ah Wu’s head, the little one finally agreed to settle down.
He and Ah Wu laid in the carriage together, holding hands and staring at the carriage ceiling.
“Ah Wu, are you tired?”
“No.”
Ah Wu’s stamina was excellent. Even after running for so long, he didn’t seem tired at all. It was the little one who was worried about him and pulled him into the carriage to rest.
“If I ran that long, I’d be exhausted.”
The little one spoke, turning his head to look at Ah Wu.
“Ah Wu, when will I be as strong as you?”
“You don’t have to be as strong as me.”
Ah Wu didn’t want to put too much pressure on the little one. He squeezed his hand and said softly, “You just need to be able to protect yourself.”
He was growing stronger and would shield the little one so he could live a carefree life.
But for now, he still needed a little more time to reach that level.
The two of them laid with their heads close, chatting. The guards outside respectfully refrained from eavesdropping.
After some time had passed, they finally entered Qi Dynasty’s borders.
It was almost time for Ah Wu to leave.
The little one, holding tightly to Ah Wu’s hand, spoke before Ah Wu could depart. “Ah Wu, when you leave, knock me out first.”
Ah Wu: “?”
Ah Wu looked down at him, clearly puzzled by this request.
The little one sniffled, looking pitiful as he explained, “If you don’t knock me out, I’ll cry for sure.”
“If I cry, you won’t want to leave.”
Ah Wu: “…”
Ah Wu leaned over and ruffled his hair. “It’s okay. If you cry, I’ll comfort you before I go.”
“You won’t be able to comfort me. I’ll cry for a long, long time.”
The little one knew himself well enough to recognize that he was a crybaby.
Ah Wu listened to his words without a hint of impatience. “Don’t worry, I’ll comfort you.”
No matter how long it took, he would make sure the little one was okay.
The little one nodded and snuggled back into Ah Wu’s embrace.
A few days later, when the time came for Ah Wu to leave, the little one clung to him and wouldn’t let go. “Ah Wu, don’t go.”
Ah Wu gently patted his small hand, speaking softly to comfort him.
The little one cried bitterly, while Ah Wu patiently soothed him.
Ah Wu promised him many things—letters, visits, and trips together.
He spent the whole afternoon comforting the little one.
Finally, the little one raised his chubby fist to wipe his tears.
“Ah Wu, you can go now.”
By this point, the little one even felt that he was being a bit too demanding.
He tried to hold back his tears as he told Ah Wu, “Go quickly, or I’ll run after you.”
Hearing this, Ah Wu still wanted to comfort him some more.
But the little one pushed him away. “Go on, comforting me won’t help anymore. You need to go quickly.”
Under the little one’s persistent shoving, Ah Wu reluctantly left, turning back with every step.
The little one watched Ah Wu leave, clenching his little fists tightly.
After Ah Wu’s figure completely disappeared from sight, the little one climbed back into the carriage.
The head guard, worried that crying too much would harm the little one’s health, wanted to go in and comfort him.
But the little one refused to let anyone enter.
He sat alone in the carriage, tears streaming down his face, yet still sensibly keeping himself from making any noise.
If the head guard heard him crying, they would definitely worry about him.
As the little one cried, he couldn’t help but want to find Ah Wu again.
He tried to control himself, but when he couldn’t anymore, he banged his head against the carriage, hoping to knock himself out.
Fortunately, the guard caught him just in time, preventing him from hitting his head a second or third time.
“Your Highness, there’s a wedding banquet in the next town. How about we go have a feast?”
“Yes, Your Highness. You can also see the bride if you’d like. Would you like to go?”
Hearing about the lively and joyful event, the little one thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement to go.
After seeing the bride and attending the feast, his mood finally improved a bit.
A smile returned to his small face, and the swelling in his eyes went down, though his eyelids were still red.
“How long until we reach the palace?” he asked.
“Your Highness, we’ll be there soon.”
The guards were secretly relieved that their return trip had been smooth and uneventful.
They didn’t realize that the journey had been so safe largely thanks to Ah Wu, the fierce beast, who had been warding off danger from afar.
Fierce beasts are highly sensitive to threats, and Ah Wu had changed their route several times to avoid danger.
Two more days passed.
The carriage finally entered the capital, but the little one didn’t rush to the palace right away. He stopped at some shops along the way and bought a few things.
After his shopping was done, he returned to the palace.
Though he had said not to notify anyone in advance, Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi already knew about his return before he arrived.
This time, the little one decided not to have anyone follow him. Instead, he hid himself and waited for his father and mother to come find him.
When Emperor Ling heard that he had hidden, he scolded, “This child is getting more mischievous. He finally comes back, but instead of resting, all he wants to do is play.”
Though his words were critical, he had already started walking out to search for him before he even finished speaking.
Noble Consort Yi smiled with joy. Before she went to look for him, she glanced at Ji Yan.
Ji Yan approached with a smile, supporting Noble Consort Yi as they walked out. In a gentle voice, she said, “The small kitchen has already prepared a meal, all of the young master’s favorite dishes.”
“We’ve also made new clothes for the young master. Since he’s been gone for several months, I thought he might have grown a bit, so we tailored some larger outfits.”
As Ji Yan calmly reported everything, Noble Consort Yi listened with satisfaction.
The little one was hiding not far from Fenghua Palace. He hadn’t seen his father and mother for so long that he felt both excited and unsure of how to make his entrance.
Unable to decide how to present himself, the little one simply chose to hide and let his father and mother come find him.
Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi knew their child well. They knew that even if he hid, it wouldn’t be far from home. Sure enough, it didn’t take long for them to find him.
When they found him, he was behind some bushes, fast asleep and snoring.
Emperor Ling chuckled, both amused and exasperated. “I knew he must be tired after such a long journey.”
“The ground is cold; don’t let him sleep there,” Noble Consort Yi reminded gently.
Emperor Ling stepped forward, bent down, and picked up the little one.
As he lifted him, the little one stirred, letting out a faint whimper, still half asleep.
Instinctively, Emperor Ling patted his back. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Go back to sleep.”
He had soothed the little one to sleep many times before, and now, hearing his father’s voice, the little one slowly stopped fussing.
They returned to Fenghua Palace.
Inside, the palace staff were all overjoyed to see the young master back.
The young master had a sweet and gentle personality. He always spoke softly and never lost his temper.
There was even a time when a palace servant injured their hand while working, and the young master gave them a box of ointment.
Such a kind and thoughtful young master was dearly loved by all.
Ji Yan glanced at the palace staff, signaling for them to be quiet so they wouldn’t disturb the young master’s sleep.
The bed in Fenghua Palace was neatly prepared, and Emperor Ling gently placed the sleeping little one on it. He and Noble Consort Yi sat by the bed, gazing down at him.
“Has he gotten thinner?”
“No, he hasn’t lost any weight. Look, there’s still some baby fat on his little face.”
“Even if he loses weight, he’ll still have his chubby little face.”
The two of them were so engrossed in examining whether the little one had gotten thinner that they didn’t notice the news spreading through the palace.
In the other palaces, the princes and princesses, hearing that the young master had returned, were all getting ready to visit him.
The Empress noticed the eldest prince about to head out and said coldly, “Your royal father is spending time with Little Seven. Why are you getting involved?”
Ling Chen hadn’t seen the little one for several months. He bowed slightly and respectfully replied, “Royal Mother, it is precisely because Royal Father is with him that I must go.”
“Royal Father dotes on Little Seven. Surely, he would be pleased to see us brothers getting along. Now that Little Seven has returned, if I, as his elder brother, don’t greet him, Royal Father may be displeased.”
Ling Chen’s reasoning was sound. The Empress furrowed her brows for a moment before speaking again, “Very well. Go ahead.”
With her permission, Ling Chen turned and left.
As Ling Chen confidently went to visit the little one, Ling Yi found out and was filled with envy.
“Big brother is so clever. He always knows how to persuade Royal Mother.”
Their mother was very controlling, and both he and his brother had lived under her control. But now, Ling Chen was gradually slipping out from under her thumb.
Ling Yi genuinely believed that his older brother was incredibly clever.
Shui Shui, who was listening to him, noticed Ling Yi’s admiration. Sitting on a small stool, he fiddled with his medicinal herbs and said, “If you want to see Little Seven, you can go now.”
He added, “Just sneak in, without anyone noticing.”
Ling Yi sighed, lying on a bench, feeling dejected. “I’d better not. I’m not as good at reasoning as my brother. If royal mother finds out, she’ll get upset again.”
Ling Yi decided he would visit Little Seven later.
After sulking for a bit, he glanced sideways at Shui Shui and asked, “Aren’t you the closest to Little Seven? Why aren’t you over there now?”
“Little Seven will come to me,” Shui Shui replied slowly.
He was speaking much more than before.
Ling Yi loved to chat and often dragged Shui Shui into conversations. Even though Shui Shui sometimes covered his ears, over time, he ended up talking a little more.
“If I don’t go to him, he’ll come find me.”
Ling Yi, unwilling to be outdone, said, “He really likes me as his brother too.”
Shui Shui responded, “Oh.”
He didn’t care about Ling Yi’s competitiveness at all.
Seeing Shui Shui’s indifferent attitude, Ling Yi also felt that his own words were a bit dull.
One of them diligently worked with herbs, while the other, like a lazy fish, daydreamed. In the small courtyard filled with the scent of herbs, a sense of warmth quietly emerged.
At Fenghua Palace:
The First and Fourth Princes had visited but left regretfully upon hearing that Little Seven hadn’t woken up yet.
However, Ling Fu, who had also come to see Little Seven, stayed behind. Sitting at the table, he ate, waiting for Little Seven to wake up. He ate the snacks so seriously, as if he hadn’t eaten in days.
Noble Consort Yi noticed him reaching for another plate of snacks after finishing one and, without thinking, stopped him.
“No more,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Your royal mother said you need to lose weight.”
Ling Fu: “….”
Ling Fu pouted and looked down at his chubby body, muttering, “I don’t think I’m that fat.”
Noble Consort Yi stayed silent.
The Emperor was quite handsome, and his children inherited those good looks. Although Ling Fu was overweight, his facial features were still well-formed, making him an attractive little chubby boy.
But if he kept gaining weight, even the best features wouldn’t save his appearance when he turned into a big chubby boy.
His mother, Consort Ru, was deeply concerned about his weight.
“Listen to your royal mother,” Noble Consort Yi said as she held his hand and had Ji Yan take the snacks away.
Ji Yan glanced at the Sixth Prince’s miserable face with some sympathy.
Without snacks, Ling Fu could only sit there, resting his face in his hands, waiting for Little Seven.
The Emperor, after spending a long time watching Little Seven, had left to attend to state affairs and wasn’t in Fenghua Palace at the moment. It was thanks to his absence that Ling Fu could relax while waiting here.
After waiting for nearly half an hour, the little one finally woke up.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Ling Fu’s round, smiling face.
The little one blinked. “Sixth Brother.”
Ling Fu grinned and patted his face affectionately. “Little Seven, you’re finally awake! I’ve been waiting for you for so long!”
Still a bit dazed, the little one blinked at him for a while before reaching out to hug him.
The two children hugged warmly, and Little Seven was now fully awake. He sat up on the bed and, spotting Noble Consort Yi nearby, called out, “Mother!”
Noble Consort Yi smiled, leaned over, kissed his cheek, and helped him get dressed.
Once Little Seven was dressed, he nestled in Noble Consort Yi’s arms for a moment before holding hands with Ling Fu, ready to play.
“Sixth Brother, let’s bring Fifth Sister to play too,” Little Seven said, shaking Ling Fu’s hand and asking, “Did you play with Fifth Sister?”
“I did, but Consort Shu doesn’t like her playing with me.”
Ling Fu frowned as he complained, “Little Seven, I feel like Consort Shu isn’t very nice to Fifth Sister.”
Children were often sensitive to the emotions of adults.
Whenever Ling Fu went to play with Ling Ning, Consort Shu would smile and offer him snacks, but seeing Fifth Sister with her head down made him lose interest in taking the snacks.
“We’ll just play with Fifth Sister and not with Consort Shu.”
Hand in hand, Little Seven and Ling Fu went to find Ling Ning.
On their way, they noticed that the palace had been decorated with ornaments, some of which seemed to be for a blessing ritual.
Aside from the decorations, Little Seven also saw some Taoist priestesses.
“Sixth Brother.”
Looking a little confused, Little Seven, who had just returned to the palace, asked, “Why are they here?”
“They say they’re here to pray for blessings, but really they’re setting up some magic formations.”
Ling Fu lowered his voice and whispered, “Little Seven, there’s a ghost in the palace.”
Little Seven’s eyes widened. “A ghost? What kind of ghost?”
“Well, several servants have seen ghostly shadows in some of the palaces. Some were so scared they lost their minds.”
“Now, not only are there Taoist priestesses, but monks from Guanghua Temple have come too.”
Ling Fu whispered the story to him and reminded him not to tell anyone about it.
The Emperor didn’t allow open discussions about such things.
Little Seven nodded fervently, promising not to speak of it.
Soon, Little Seven went to Consort Shu’s palace and brought Ling Ning out.
Consort Shu smiled warmly when she saw him, offering him pastries and asking in detail how his studies had been going.
Little Seven chatted with her for a while before finally bringing Ling Ning out.
Ling Ning had looked a bit uneasy while in the palace, but once she was out and with Little Seven, a smile unknowingly appeared on her face.
“Fifth Sister, you should smile more. You look really pretty when you smile.”
The little one’s sincere compliment made Ling Ning feel warm inside.
They were playing in the garden, catching butterflies, kicking a small ball, climbing trees, and watching ants. These activities might seem childish to adults, but the children were engrossed and having a great time.
As evening came, Ling Fu and Ling Ning returned to their respective palaces. The little one saw his sixth brother run off to eat, and he didn’t want Ling Ning to go back alone. He held her hand and offered to walk her home.
“Our teacher said that boys should walk girls home.”
“Fifth Sister is a girl, and I’m a boy, so I should walk you home.”
Ling Ning smiled, her lips pressed together. She hadn’t expected that the little one’s teacher had taught him so much.
He walked Ling Ning all the way back to her palace. As they arrived, Consort Shu stopped him and gave him a few words of advice.
Consort Shu reminded him, “Little Seven, don’t wander around too much these days, especially avoid going to Zhaoxi Palace.”
She didn’t explain why, just gave the warning.
The little one looked up at her, guessing silently in his heart:
Could the haunted place Sixth Brother mentioned be Zhaoxi Palace?
Zhaoxi Palace was where he used to live. His birth mother, Consort Xi, had died in that palace.
Now that people were saying the place was haunted, could the ghost they were referring to be Consort Xi?
The little one had never met Consort Xi, though he had heard from others that Consort Xi and Noble Consort Yi had a very poor relationship. He had only heard this a couple of times, and then no one spoke of it again.
Since Noble Consort Yi had taken care of him, she had never said anything bad about Consort Xi.
He still remembered how on his birthday, Ji Yan had secretly burned some paper. It seemed like she was offering it to Consort Xi.
“Consort Shu, I understand. I’ll come visit Fifth Sister next time. Goodbye.”
The little one didn’t ask any further questions. He just waved his little hand and said goodbye to Consort Shu.
As she watched his obedient little face, Consort Shu’s brow furrowed slightly.
After leaving Consort Shu’s palace, the little one, with his short legs, went to find the emperor.
The emperor was still reviewing documents.
When the little one arrived, the emperor was frowning deeply at one of the memorials, and it looked like he was about to lose his temper.
The atmosphere in the study was tense.
The little one pushed open the door and rushed in like a little cannonball. “Daddy!”
The emperor looked up.
The little one ran over, arms open for a hug.
Seeing the little red-cheeked face, the emperor’s stern expression softened immediately.
He picked up the little one and, with a faint snort, asked, “You woke up, and instead of coming to find Daddy, you went off to play with Little Five and Little Six?”
“Daddy is busy.”
The little one sat on his lap, his expression well-behaved.
The emperor pinched his little face, still dissatisfied. “I’m busy now too. Why did you come?”
“Daddy has been busy for a long time, you need to rest.”
The little one nuzzled his father’s big hand and said softly, “Daddy, I’m hungry.”
As soon as he said he was hungry, there was no way the emperor would let him go without food.
“Alright, let’s go eat.”
The emperor picked him up and took him to eat dinner.
Once the little one returned, the emperor was not surprised that he wanted to sleep with him at night.
But when the little one slept next to his father, he realized that his dad often had nightmares.
The emperor didn’t sleep peacefully.
The little one snuggled up in his arms, worried when he saw the emperor tossing and turning restlessly.
He sat up, gently patting the emperor, his soft voice breaking the silence of the night: “Daddy, don’t be scared. I’m here.”
Strangely enough, the little one’s comforting seemed to help. Gradually, the emperor started to sleep more soundly.
Noble Consort Yi had woken up when the little one first sat up.
His voice, so soft as he tried not to wake her, was touching as he calmed his father down.
Seeing him take care of the emperor, she smiled and stayed silent.
The little one, having soothed his father, let out a tiny sigh.
He turned his head, and as he looked over at his mother, he realized she was already watching him.
“Mommy.”
“You’re amazing, calming your daddy down.”
She stroked his head and praised him.
The little one beamed, his eyes squinting with joy. He snuggled into Noble Consort Yi’s arms and playfully rubbed against her: “I’ll help Mommy sleep too.”
That night, the little one was full of filial piety, comforting both his father and mother.
After his return, the emperor didn’t rush him back to his palace studies. Instead, he let the little one relax and play in the palace for a while before bringing up lessons again.
While the little one stayed out of school, his brothers and sisters had to attend.
During the day, while they studied, the little one would spend time with Noble Consort Yi and the emperor. Once the lessons ended, he would go off to play with his siblings.
Life in the palace was comfortable for him.
The only thing that made him uneasy was that his father often had nightmares. Some monks had said the emperor’s nightmares were caused by the palace being disturbed by something.
This wasn’t openly discussed, but rumors spread behind the scenes.
Noble Consort Yi had been furious when she heard this, smashing a set of teacups in anger: “The only filthy things in this palace are the living! Now they’re blaming the dead for everything!”
Noble Consort Yi was livid.
She had seen many schemes in the palace. This one appeared supernatural, but at its core, it was about convincing the emperor that Consort Xi was cursed, even after death, and that her spirit was disturbing him.
If the emperor believed this, he might grow even more disgusted with Consort Xi.
And what about the little one, Consort Xi’s child? Would he truly remain unaffected in the emperor’s heart?
The more Noble Consort Yi thought about it, the more she wished she could drag those monks and priestesses responsible for spreading these rumors and have them executed. But that was beyond her power.
Qi dynasty had a strong reverence for Buddhist temples, and the Empress herself was a devout follower of Buddha.
She couldn’t just kill a monk.
Noble Consort Yi’s fury had been brewing for some time, and as the little one was returning to the palace for a drink of water, he stood at the door and overheard everything.
He heard Noble Consort Yi angrily say that this was all a plot aimed at her Little Seven!
He was the Little Seven of his mother.
So, the ghost rumors were a plan to make his father dislike him!
The little one stood at the door, his cheeks puffed up in anger.
He no longer wanted to go inside for a drink, and instead, turned and stomped off, walking away with heavy steps, full of indignation.
On his way to find Shui Shui, his mind wandered to the words the other children had said at Guan Shan Residence.
The children who had survived and made it to Guan Shan Residence to study were no weaklings. Before they parted, they had also told the little one about the schemes that took place within the palace.
The little one remembered all of it.
He marched toward Shui Shui’s courtyard, and just as he arrived, Shui Shui came out to pour water.
Seeing the little one approaching, Shui Shui quickly ran over to him.
‘What’s wrong?’
Shui Shui immediately noticed that the little one was angry. He dropped the water basin and reached out to grab the little one.
The little one, with puffed-up cheeks, stayed silent.
Seeing this, Shui Shui pulled him into the courtyard.
He poured a cup of water, added some honey to it, and handed it to the little one.
The little one took the cup and gulped it down.
After finishing his drink, he sat in the chair and finally spoke to Shui Shui about what he had overheard earlier.
“Someone is trying to harm me!”
The little one held the empty cup in his hands, saying this conclusion seriously.
Shui Shui placed the empty cup aside, his expression darkening.
The two children sat facing each other, and Shui Shui held the little one’s hand, asking, “What do you want to do now?”
“There are no such things as ghosts.”
The little one’s face was stern. “Our teacher said we must not be superstitious.”
A bad monk trying to use superstition to harm him—this couldn’t be tolerated.
“Right.”
Shui Shui agreed. “There are no such things as ghosts.”
After being angry for a while, the little one felt calmer as he sat there, drank his honey water, and let Shui Shui comfort him by holding his little hand.
Once he was calm, he sat in Shui Shui’s courtyard for a long time before blinking his eyes.
“Shui Shui, let’s go catch some ghosts!”
“?”
“What?”
Shui Shui was taken aback. “What?“
The little one huffed, “Didn’t they say there were ghost sightings at Chaoxi Palace? Let’s go catch a ghost.“
“You can’t go there.“
Shui Shui informed him, “The emperor has forbidden anyone from approaching that place.“
Ever since the incident, the emperor had ordered Chaoxi Palace to be sealed off.
If it hadn’t been sealed, Noble Consort Yi would have long since gone there to investigate.
The little one blinked. “But I can go.“
Not only did he want to see who was pretending to be a ghost, but he also wanted to teach those monks who were plotting against him a lesson.
Since it was still early in the day, the little one rubbed his tummy and asked Shui Shui, “Shui Shui, do you want to have a meal together?“
“Who are we eating with?“
“With my father, and the invited monks.“
Shui Shui: “…“
Shui Shui didn’t particularly want to have a meal with the emperor.
He was young, and the emperor always doubted his ability to heal.
Those familiar with Shui Shui knew that he was a little proud when it came to treating illnesses.
Since the emperor didn’t care for his services, Shui Shui never offered them.
In fact, when he occasionally ran into the emperor, he would bow his head, not even bothering to look at the emperor’s face.
While Shui Shui hesitated, the little one patted his small hands and stood up.
“If you don’t want to go, I can go by myself. I’ll come back and find you after I finish eating.“
The little one said as he prepared to leave, and Shui Shui, holding his small hand, warned him, “Come back right after eating. I’ve made many things that we can use.“
“Okay!“
In Shui Shui’s presence, the little one always felt completely safe.
Among all the children around his age, aside from his sixth brother, Shui Shui was his absolute favorite.
The little one waved goodbye to Shui Shui and then went to find his father.
He made a fuss about wanting vegetarian food, which was usually reserved for the monks.
“I just want to see them.”
The little one clung to the emperor’s neck, giving him several noisy kisses on his handsome face. “Daddy, let me see the masters.”
The emperor, now covered in his son’s kisses, pretended to be annoyed, but he didn’t let go of the little one.
“Fine, fine. I’ll let you see them.”
The emperor lifted the clingy child, freeing one hand to wipe the saliva from his face.
“Those masters chant all day—what’s so interesting about that?”
Although the emperor respected the monks and priests, it was with a measured respect. He wasn’t as obsessed with Buddhist rituals as the previous emperor.
The little one continued to cling to him, and the emperor, looking down at his son, finally asked, ”There’s no meat in the vegetarian meal. Are you sure you want to eat it?”
”I want it.”
The little one’s soft face might have looked harmless, but deep down, he was busy plotting revenge.
