The little one’s soft cheek rubbed against Ah Wu’s chest, dispelling some of Ah Wu’s anger.
He lowered his head and gently touched the little one’s face.
This interaction between the large and the small had already left the palace maids around them completely stunned.
The maids stared at them, wanting to say something but too afraid to speak.
In the end, it was the little one who noticed the frightened maids. He lifted his face and pulled Ah Wu’s hand, introducing them: “Little Yu, Little Xue, this is Ah Wu.”
After introducing Ah Wu’s name, the little one paused and turned to Ah Wu, asking, “Ah Wu, why are you here?”
Ah Wu moved his lips. This time, he finally managed to introduce himself smoothly: “I’ve been here the whole time. Zai Zai, my name here is Huo Qinwu.”
The little one: “…”
He was stunned.
His face was blank, but his little mind was working.
Earlier, Little Yu had mentioned that there were three people in the palace that should never be provoked, and one of those names was Huo Qinwu.
Little Yu had said that the Crown Prince Huo Qinwu was ruthless and killed without hesitation.
The little one thought about Little Yu’s words, looked at the murderous image painted, and then looked at the Ah Wu he was hugging.
His chubby face turned serious as he clarified to Little Yu, “Little Yu, this is my Ah Wu. He’s not ruthless.”
Little Yu didn’t seem convinced.
The little one shook Ah Wu’s hand, signaling for him to greet Little Yu.
Ah Wu glanced at Little Yu, and that was enough of a greeting.
The little one wanted to say more, but Ah Wu had more pressing matters to discuss with him.
This time, the little one recounted in greater detail how he came to be here. After finishing, he even made up an explanation for himself.
The little one’s words were innocent, but Ah Wu neither contradicted him nor dismissed his childish reasoning.
“Zai Zai, don’t be afraid later. Just answer whatever they ask you. I’ll be here with you the whole time.”
Ah Wu stroked his head, reassuring him, “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Mm!”
After calming the little one, Ah Wu didn’t stay any longer. He had other matters to attend to.
“Zai Zai, I’ll see you at the banquet later.”
Before leaving, Ah Wu stroked his soft face again and reminded him, “Don’t tell anyone that you know me in the next few days.”
“There are many bad people in the palace. If they know we’re close, they might harm you.”
Ah Wu’s warning wasn’t because he feared the palace people.
The little one’s sudden arrival was outside of his plans, and he couldn’t risk gambling with his Zai Zai’s safety.
“Give it a few days.”
Ah Wu held his face and promised him, “After a few days, you won’t have to pretend not to know me anymore.”
The little one’s unexpected arrival meant that Ah Wu needed a few days to make arrangements and also to send a clear message to the people in the palace—to make sure none of them dared to harm his Zai Zai.
“I understand,” the little one nodded obediently, watching Ah Wu leave, his heart floating with happiness.
Once Ah Wu had gone, Little Yu and Little Xue finally let out a sigh of relief. They looked at the little prince, their voices trembling, “Your Highness, how do you know the Crown Prince?”
The little one gave a simple reply, “I just know him.”
Little Yu and Little Xue were still afraid. They feared that the Crown Prince might hurt their little prince, but seeing how the Crown Prince had interacted with him, it seemed he cared deeply for him.
“Your Highness, please be careful.”
Knowing they couldn’t offer good advice, Little Yu and Little Xue could only repeatedly remind the little prince to be cautious.
Soon after Ah Wu left, someone brought food.
The person who delivered it quietly said it was sent on the Crown Prince’s orders.
The little one happened to be hungry, so he had the food placed on the table, but didn’t eat immediately.
He pulled out a small rod from his pocket, a tool for testing for poison, the same kind his father used.
Since the Emperor used this rare tool, Shui Shui had long prepared one for the little prince as well.
He tested all the dishes and, after confirming there was no poison, finally began to eat.
“Little Yu, Little Xue, come eat.”
“No, Your Highness, please eat by yourself.”
Little Yu and Little Xue firmly refused. They didn’t want to eat at the same table as the little prince, as the rules of rank and status had to be followed no matter where they were.
Since he couldn’t convince them, the little one ate by himself first and then offered them the food afterward.
After everyone had filled their stomachs, the palace staff arrived to take them to the banquet.
The little one glanced at the empty chair. Just moments ago, the red bridal veil had been resting on it.
Now, the veil was gone—Ah Wu had taken it.
Without the red veil, the little one still felt a bit nervous.
Whenever he got nervous, he would tense up his face. After taking a few calming breaths, he left Little Yu and Little Xue behind, walking out alone with the palace servants.
“Your Highness, let us come with you. If Emperor Qing questions it, we can say it was all our doing,” they pleaded.
“No need, you don’t have to come. I can handle this.”
Determined, the little one left them behind and walked confidently on his own.
Before long, he arrived at his destination, immediately drawing the attention of many.
The beauties in Emperor Qing’s harem outnumbered those in Emperor Ling’s palace threefold, and the number of women attending the banquet was so overwhelming that the little one almost couldn’t take it all in.
With so many beautiful women staring at him, the little one grew even more nervous, his wide eyes looking around.
“Is that really the Second Princess? She looks like just a child!”
Among the beauties present, some had sharp eyes. They could tell that the figure standing before them wasn’t the adult princess they expected but rather a pretty, delicate child.
“She doesn’t look like a princess to me either, but this is who Qi Dynasty sent. Maybe she’s just a young princess.”
“But she’s not dressed like a princess. What’s going on with Qi Dynasty?”
“Who knows? Even His Majesty hasn’t met this princess yet.”
The women chattered among themselves, though they couldn’t help but admire the little one’s beautiful face.
“If she really is a little princess, I bet His Majesty will keep her here, raise her in the palace.”
The old emperor was notorious for his obsession with beauty, though he had yet to sink so low as to pursue children. His youngest concubines, at least, were of age.
But this lovely child, though still young, might well be kept by the emperor, only to be favored once she grew up.
“You’re probably right. I also think His Majesty will keep her.”
The little one didn’t hear their gossip. He sat properly on his chair, hands folded neatly in his lap.
Some people tried to talk to him, but he only responded with polite nods and shakes of his head, not engaging much in conversation.
Time passed.
Suddenly, the hall fell silent. Emperor Qing entered with two beauties by his side.
The one on his left was none other than Noble Consort Jia, whom the little one had rescued earlier in the day.
The little one spotted Noble Consort Jia, and she also noticed him.
Their eyes met, and Noble Consort Jia’s gaze lingered on his face for a couple of seconds before shifting away.
Noble Consort Jia stood on Emperor Qing’s left, and on his right was the Empress of Great Qing.
The Empress wasn’t much older than Noble Consort Jia, and they even shared similar features, though Noble Consort Jia appeared younger and more radiant.
Emperor Qing held Noble Consort Jia’s hand. Her striking beauty was now tinged with a fragile weakness, adding an air of vulnerability that made her even more pitiable.
Everyone knew that Noble Consort Jia had recently lost her child.
According to custom, she should have been resting and recovering in the palace, not attending a banquet.
Yet here she was, and her presence completely captivated the emperor’s attention.
As the crowd bowed to Emperor Qing, the little one followed suit, bowing along with everyone else.
Emperor Qing personally helped Noble Consort Jia to her cushioned seat and ordered a warm blanket to be brought to cover her, shielding her from the cold air.
Once Noble Consort Jia was settled, Emperor Qing finally allowed everyone to rise.
The little one, unaccustomed to such long bows, discreetly rubbed his knees as he stood.
Emperor Qing and the Empress took their seats, though the Empress’s expression wasn’t pleasant.
Emperor Qing acted as if he hadn’t noticed her displeasure. After announcing the start of the banquet, he watched as dancers took the stage to perform.
The music, the dancing, and the entertainment were all similar to the banquets in Qi Dynasty, but the dances and songs here were far more provocative.
The movements of the dancers made the little one lower his head, unwilling to watch any further.
After the dancing concluded, Emperor Qing, seated at the head of the hall, finally remembered the purpose of the banquet.
This event was meant to welcome the Second Princess of Qi Dynasty.
“Where is the Second Princess?”
While nibbling on the fruit offered by Noble Consort Jia, Emperor Qing casually asked, “I’ve been busy these past few days and haven’t had time to meet her yet. I hope she doesn’t take offense—”
Before he could finish speaking, his words came to an abrupt halt.
His gaze fell on the little one, who had stepped forward and was now standing in the center of the hall, politely bowing.
The little one was dressed in the traditional attire of Qi Dynasty.
Though Emperor Qing was a man of experience, even he was momentarily taken aback.
His voice paused, and he asked, “Are you the Second Princess of Qi Dynasty?”
The little one honestly shook his head.
Seeing the shake of his head, Emperor Qing’s eyes darkened, and his hand clenched tightly.
Noble Consort Jia, sitting beside him, could tell he was getting angry.
She immediately leaned in, her delicate hand gently stroking his chest to calm his temper.
“I asked for the Second Princess. Why has Qi Dynasty sent a child? What are they playing at?”
“The envoy didn’t specifically ask for the Second Princess,” the little one calmly replied, his words carefully chosen. “The envoy asked for the most beautiful child of my royal father.”
“They said the most beautiful child would be sent to Great Qing to marry.”
What the little one was saying was indeed something the envoy had mentioned.
However, the envoy’s original intention was for the Second Princess. They had wanted the Second Princess all along.
Now, the little one twisted and turned his words, altering the meaning while keeping the same message.
“I am my royal father’s best-looking child, so I came to Great Qing.”
The little one spoke with an air of righteousness, his pretty face exposed to Emperor Qing’s gaze.
No matter how displeased Emperor Qing was, he had to admit that this child was probably the best-looking one in the Qi Dynasty royal family.
“My royal father respects you very much. I am my royal father’s best-looking child, and I came here to make you happy and to make my royal father happy.”
To protect his second sister and prevent Great Qing from doing anything to Qi Dynasty, the little one had practically transformed into a little liar.
The words he was saying now were things he didn’t even want to hear a second time himself.
Even though he knew he was lying, with his innocent face, the words that came out of his mouth were surprisingly convincing.
“Your Majesty, this child is quite thoughtful. He assumed you wanted to see the most beautiful person, so he traveled all this way, leaving behind his royal father and royal mother, just to come here. His sincerity would move even me,” said Noble Consort Jia.
Two other concubines of high standing also spoke up, praising the little one.
Noble Consort Jia, growing emotional, even shed tears. Her face showed clear sorrow as she added, “Such a well-behaved child who cares so much about you… I should have had one like that in my womb too.”
“But I lacked the fortune to keep that child.”
Noble Consort Jia had recently lost her baby, and now, seeing this well-behaved little one, she felt even more pity. Emperor Qing, not wanting to upset her further, also began to soften toward the child.
With the concubines’ coaxing, Emperor Qing abandoned any thoughts of punishing the little one.
After the concubines finished speaking, the Empress, who had been silent all this time, glanced at the little one and then softly addressed Emperor Qing: “Your Majesty, I have long heard that Emperor Ling cherishes his youngest, the Seventh Prince, far more than the Second Princess. The Second Princess barely holds any presence in the Qi Dynasty palace.”
“The Seventh Prince has shown such dedication in coming all this way just to see you. In my opinion, we should let him stay here to honor his sincerity.”
Keeping the Qi Dynasty’s most treasured prince in Great Qing would surely be a thorn in Emperor Ling’s side.
Even though Emperor Qing was softened by the little one’s flattering words and had decided not to punish him, he was still unhappy with Qi Dynasty for not sending the Second Princess.
The Empress’s suggestion resonated with him.
If Qi Dynasty refused to send the Second Princess, they couldn’t blame him for keeping the Seventh Prince.
“The Empress makes a good point. Since the Seventh Prince has come to Great Qing, let him stay for a while,” Emperor Qing declared.
With that, the little one was effectively trapped.
Noble Consort Jia furrowed her brow, as if wanting to say something more, but when she looked at the Empress, she swallowed her words.
The banquet hadn’t yet finished, but Emperor Qing left early, accompanying Noble Consort Jia.
The Empress didn’t stay much longer either.
The little one didn’t care much about the departure of the three. Sitting in his chair, he snuck glances at Ah Wu.
Among those present were other princes and princesses, including Ah Wu, the Crown Prince.
Ah Wu watched the proceedings with an indifferent expression, seemingly uninterested in the drama, but he had listened carefully to every word the little one said.
After hearing it all, Ah Wu had only one thought:
What had Emperor Qing done to deserve such elaborate flattery from the little one?
If it weren’t for Emperor Qing’s extreme caution—his numerous shadow guards and his habit of inspecting all food rigorously before eating, even making Noble Consort Jia taste the fruit before he did—Ah Wu would have already dealt with him.
Sitting in a prominent position, Ah Wu’s face showed no emotion. He never revealed his thoughts through his expressions.
Time passed, and the banquet came to an end.
The little one had already eaten earlier, so he didn’t touch any food during the banquet. Ah Wu had arranged for food to be sent to him beforehand, likely to prevent him from eating anything at the event.
In this unfamiliar land of Great Qing, the little one remained cautious.
Although Emperor Qing had announced that the Seventh Prince of Qi Dynasty would stay, he hadn’t mentioned what kind of treatment he would receive.
Without any specific instructions, the little one wasn’t given any special privileges.
Qi Dynasty’s weak national power made Great Qing people look down on them, and they looked down even more on the little prince from Qi.
The little one continued to live in a small room, where even hot water wasn’t provided promptly.
As the night deepened, after sending Little Yu and Little Xue away, the little one went to listen to stories from the old lady before wandering around to explore.
He had never been to Emperor Qing’s palace before. Last time, he had only seen Emperor Qing shamelessly flirting with a concubine in another palace.
The area around Emperor Qing’s palace gave the little one an instinctive sense of danger.
After wandering for a while, he ate some fresh melons.
He discovered that women could also be with women. Emperor Qing had so many beauties that even he probably didn’t realize that one of them had romantic feelings for another.
That beauty was somewhat promiscuous, embracing and cuddling with several other beauties at once.
The little one even overheard them quarreling, though it didn’t last long before they made up.
He also found that palace eunuchs were sometimes called into the sleeping chambers by the concubines.
After wandering around for a bit longer, the little one sneakily made his way to the Eastern Palace.
He knew Ah Wu lived in the Eastern Palace.
But he had promised Ah Wu that he would behave.
The little one gazed longingly at the Eastern Palace for a while before finally returning to sleep.
While the little one went back to sleep after wandering, Ah Wu didn’t have the luxury of rest.
Ah Wu used to not be in a hurry. His position as Crown Prince was secure, and no one could take it away. He had all the time in the world to watch the people in the palace fight among themselves, letting the old emperor be worn down by these struggles. Ideally, this would lead the emperor to die from anger, leaving the throne for him.
But now, he was feeling a bit anxious.
There were too many villains in the palace, and while he used to have the energy to deal with them, now, he didn’t.
He thought back to last night’s banquet, where someone who supported the Empress had spoken ill of the little one. One of them was part of the Empress’s inner circle of advisors.
“I’ll get rid of one first,” he thought.
He wasn’t in a rush to bury those who bore him malice. But for those who had ill intentions toward the little one—they had to die.
The next day, the little one stayed in bed until noon. When lunch arrived, something was off about the food.
“Your Highness, our food has been cut back,” Little Xue said, biting her lip in frustration. “The way they’re treating us is worse than before.”
Ever since the banquet ended the night before, the attitude toward the little one in the palace had changed. In their eyes, the Empress didn’t like the little one, though Noble Consort Jia had spoken a few kind words on his behalf.
But a few words from Noble Consort Jia couldn’t outweigh Emperor Qing and the Empress’s indifference. The people in the palace were experts at reading the situation, and they followed Emperor Qing’s lead. Since he didn’t order special treatment for the young prince, they saw no need to show him any respect.
The little one sniffed, then ordered Little Yu and Little Xue to return the lunch.
Without lunch, he wasn’t afraid.
He patted his belly, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before warm, fragrant food was secretly delivered to him.
Sitting on his chair, eating the delicious meal, the little one’s short legs swung back and forth.
“With Ah Wu around, I’ll never go hungry,” he said.
He wasn’t surprised at all by the warm food.
And so, while the palace continued to serve him the worst meals three times a day, the little one’s face remained rosy and healthy, without losing any weight.
After hearing about the situation in the little one’s quarters, Noble Consort Jia thought about it and decided to take some action.
She wasn’t a good person, but she valued her own life.
The Seventh Prince had saved her life, so she felt she owed him something.
Not only did Noble Consort Jia order her servants to take care of the Seventh Prince, but she also visited him in person. When she arrived, the Seventh Prince was sitting on the threshold, playing with a vine.
“Seventh Prince,” she called to him. “What kind of toys do you want? I’ll have some sent over.”
The vine in the little prince’s hands looked far too shabby.
“Huh?” The little one, playing with the vine, was startled by her words. His face showed a brief moment of confusion before he responded, “I already have toys. No need for more.”
“Did you bring your toys from Qi Dynasty?”
The little one: “…”
Honestly, he replied, “No.”
He hadn’t even thought about bringing toys when he left.
“Well, since you don’t have any toys, don’t refuse,” Noble Consort Jia said.
After gifting him some toys, she also gave him other things, like pastries and clothes.
The little one politely thanked Noble Consort Jia for her gifts.
Noble Consort Jia appreciated the thanks.
Having recently lost her child, she felt a sense of control over this “lonely, helpless” little one in front of her.
“In the future, if you’re bored, you can come to my palace. I have plenty of food there, and you can eat as much as you want.”
“Mm-hmm,” the little one nodded.
While Noble Consort Jia showed kindness to the little one, the Empress openly directed her malice at him.
Stuck in the middle, the little one wasn’t foolish.
He could tell the Empress disliked him, and Noble Consort Jia happened to like him for the moment.
So, whenever the Empress tried to trouble him, the little one would run straight to Noble Consort Jia.
“Niang Niang, am I troubling you by coming to you?” the little one would ask pitifully after complaining about the Empress. “Maybe I shouldn’t come to you anymore. The Empress might bully you because of me.”
Noble Consort Jia: “…”
Noble Consort Jia sneered. “She wants to bully me? She can dream.”
Her life had already been ruined by the Empress. Now that she was in the palace, she would ensure she became the most powerful woman there.
The Empress’s position would be hers sooner or later.
Noble Consort Jia and the Empress had always been at odds, but on the surface, they still pretended to be sisters.
Outwardly, they appeared friendly, but behind closed doors, they fought fiercely.
But now, with the little one’s involvement, their relationship had broken down even on the surface.
Sitting in her own palace, the Empress fumed, “Consort Xiang’s death must have been her doing. Her methods have become much crueler than before!”
Consort Xiang, the Empress’s most trusted ally, had met with an accident the previous day. Two other concubines from the Empress’s faction had also faced trouble—one was found harboring an un-castrated fake eunuch, and the other had fallen into a pond, catching a cold that left her bedridden, her spirit crushed.
In just a few days, the Empress’s camp had suffered significant setbacks.
Her eyes reddened with rage, and one of her confidantes, seeing her fury, couldn’t help but remark, “Your Majesty, don’t you think… this doesn’t seem like Noble Consort Jia’s handiwork? She wasn’t capable of being this ruthless before.”
“She wasn’t capable before, but now… she just lost a prince. The imperial doctor told me it was a boy.”
Hearing this, the confidante no longer had any doubts.
“Losing the prince must have driven her to this. But that child in her belly couldn’t have been allowed to be born anyway.”
The Empress herself had no children, only the Second Prince, who was raised under her care. However, the Second Prince took after his birth mother and was somewhat dull-witted, so Emperor Qing was never quite satisfied with him.
If Noble Consort Jia were to have a biological child, with how much Emperor Qing doted on her, who knew if he would one day lose his senses, defeat the Crown Prince, and leave the throne to that child.
The Empress didn’t want to take that risk, so Noble Consort Jia’s child couldn’t be allowed to be born.
The Empress harbored deep hatred toward Noble Consort Jia, and Noble Consort Jia, in turn, felt the same intense hatred for the Empress.
Noble Consort Jia had also encountered several misfortunes recently, and she blamed all of them on the Empress.
The enmity between the Empress and Noble Consort Jia was growing, and their power within the palace was gradually being reduced.
Caught in the middle, the little one, with his innocent face, watched them fight back and forth.
As they fought with great enthusiasm, the little one’s mood was equally joyful.
He no longer stayed in his small room; now, at night, he would go find Ah Wu to sleep with.
“Little one, be good. I’ll tell you a story. Let’s not go out to listen to stories,” Ah Wu said, bringing him to his side at night, ensuring the little one didn’t run around.
The little one thought about the elderly lady—he was used to going to her at night.
Now that Ah Wu wouldn’t let him go, he hesitated a bit.
“How about we listen to the story of the little pig building a house?” Ah Wu suggested.
“No, I don’t want to hear that,” the little one replied.
His ears had grown accustomed to the wonderful stories from the elderly lady, so he blinked and made his request: “I want to hear stories about heroic knights from the martial world!”
Ah Wu: “…”
Ah Wu was silent for a moment, then began to make up a story about knights and martial artists.
The story Ah Wu told made the little one grumble in protest, “That’s not how it goes. This isn’t the story I wanted to hear.”
The little one still preferred the elderly lady’s stories.
But Ah Wu held him tightly, preventing him from wriggling away.
“Tomorrow, I’ll go to the study and find a book. I’ll read you a story at night,” Ah Wu promised. Then he climbed into bed, hugged the little one, and stayed by his side until they both fell asleep.
With Ah Wu holding him, the little one couldn’t move, and eventually, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Once the little one was asleep, Ah Wu, who had closed his eyes earlier, opened them again and sat up.
For Ah Wu, it was still early.
He had work to do.
As he went about his tasks, someone came quietly to report on the progress.
The palace was in chaos, with one incident after another. Both the Empress and Noble Consort Jia believed the other was responsible. It wasn’t just them—everyone else in the palace thought the same.
Now, people in the palace were silently praying for the Empress and Noble Consort Jia to quickly settle their feud, hoping the turmoil would finally end.
They thought that once the Empress and Noble Consort Jia stopped, the storm in the palace would cease.
Little did they know that all the chaos in the palace had been stirred up by Ah Wu.
Those who had died or gone mad—it was all his doing.
The ones who died had been plotting harm against the little one.
Those who went mad weren’t exactly innocent either.
Ah Wu had thrown the entire palace into disarray, weakening them, only then feeling secure enough to bring the little one into his care.
But for him, this wasn’t enough.
This was just the beginning.
As long as his little one stayed in the palace, those who deserved to die would, according to his plan, meet their deaths one by one.
The Empress would be the first to go.
As for Emperor Qing, while he valued his life, Ah Wu wasn’t in a rush. His claws were always ready, waiting for the right moment to deliver a fatal blow.
The entire Great Qing palace had descended into chaos, all because of one little child.
And the little one at the center of it all felt no guilt for the mess he had caused.
He sat on the carpet in Noble Consort Jia’s palace, eating fresh and rare fruit, his small mouth juicy and glistening.
Noble Consort Jia looked down at him and asked, “Little Seven, is this consort treating you well?”
Noble Consort Jia was someone who liked to be repaid for her actions. She believed that since she treated the little one well, he should, in return, remember her kindness.
The little one, having just finished a small plate of fruit, nodded his head and softly replied, “Yes, very well.”
Noble Consort Jia let out a hum of satisfaction and continued, “In this palace, isn’t it true that I’m the one who treats you the best?”
This question made the little one pause.
In this palace, the person who treated him the best wasn’t Noble Consort Jia.
His Ah Wu was still here!
The little one had been staying in Noble Consort Jia’s palace for quite a few days now, so he knew what she wanted to hear.
With a hum, he said, “Noble Consort Jia treats me very, very well. When I go home, I’ll tell my royal father and royal mother.”
“Going home—now that will take some time,” Noble Consort Jia chuckled, her tone sharp and unkind. “As long as the Emperor doesn’t say anything, you’ll stay here.”
“If he never speaks, you’ll never leave.”
“Little Seven, you should start thinking about your future in this palace.”
Her intentions were clear. She wanted this beautiful little prince to rely on her, to submit to her, and stay by her side in the palace.
But the little one blinked his eyes, either pretending not to understand or genuinely confused, and didn’t respond to her words.
And so, the days passed.
The little one’s life in the palace wasn’t exactly peaceful, but it was safe. He had written several letters and sent them to the Qi Dynasty, hoping his father and mother would see them.
As he longed for his parents, Murong Xu, who had also arrived in Great Qing, was racking his brain, trying to figure out how to enter the palace.
The palace of Great Qing was completely different from the palace of the Qi Dynasty.
Even without permission, Murong Xu could find a way into the Qi Dynasty’s palace. But the Great Qing palace was a different story.
Without permission, Murong Xu couldn’t enter the Great Qing Palace.
Perhaps Murong Xu missed the little one so much that the child sensed it. That night, after listening to the elderly lady’s story, the little one returned and pleaded with Ah Wu, saying he wanted to leave the palace to play.
“Ah Wu, since I’ve been here, I haven’t gone out to play,” the little one said pitifully. Ah Wu pinched his cheek and, without much hesitation, agreed.
“On the fifteenth of this month, I’ll take you out of the palace to play.”
“Yay!”
“Is Great Qing fun? What’s the specialty here?”
“I think it’s just okay,” Ah Wu replied, unimpressed with all the scenery.
“Is there good food here? I want to send some back for my sixth brother to eat.”
“Some things can be sent back, but some can’t.”
The two of them continued talking lightly, and as they did, the little one fell asleep.
At night, the little one and Ah Wu were very close, yet during the day, no one else knew about it.
Especially Noble Consort Jia, who would occasionally talk to the little one about Huo Qinwu.
“That little madman, if you see him, stay far away. Don’t get too close to him.”
“But he’s the Crown Prince,” the little one said. “Madmen shouldn’t be Crown Princes.”
Although Qi Dynasty didn’t have a formal Crown Prince, the little one knew that if someone had a disability or a mental illness, they couldn’t become one.
His Ah Wu was the Crown Prince, so he definitely wasn’t a madman.
“He’s the Crown Prince, but he’s also a madman,” Noble Consort Jia insisted, frowning. “The Emperor will depose him sooner or later. In any case, stay away from that madman. If he tries to hurt you, I may not be able to protect you.”
The little one replied, “Okay.”
He had originally wanted to hear more about Ah Wu, but Noble Consort Jia kept repeating that Ah Wu was a madman. The little one pursed his lips, not wanting to listen any further.
Soon, the fifteenth arrived, the day Ah Wu had promised.
That day, the little one happily climbed into a carriage and left the palace. Before he left, the Empress and Noble Consort Jia had quarreled in front of Emperor Qing, crying and arguing, causing Emperor Qing to scowl while holding his consort tightly.
While the palace was in chaos, the little one, leaving the palace, was in high spirits.
He wandered the streets, accompanied by Little Yu and Xiao Xue. Ah Wu had said he would come find him after he had wandered for a bit.
As the little one strolled through the streets, Murong Xu, unable to find him, sat on the roadside, frustrated.
Murong Xu had received a letter from the palace, which he carried with a heavy heart.
As he fretted, his gaze suddenly fixed on a certain direction.
When he couldn’t find the little one, Murong Xu had imagined countless times how the child must be suffering in Great Qing. It wasn’t just him—the people in the Qi palace all thought the same.
They all believed that their little one must be enduring hardships in Great Qing.
Every time he thought of this, Murong Xu felt as though his heart was being torn apart.
The heartbroken uncle stared at the little one, whose face seemed to have grown chubbier, and his breathing grew heavier.
“Little one…” Murong Xu whispered, almost thinking he was hallucinating.
Otherwise, how could the pitiful little figure in his mind be happily strolling down the street, grinning from ear to ear?
