Did The Young Prince’s Kingdom Get Destroyed Today? Chapter 142

Ah Wu’s tone while reading was flat and monotonous, and the little one had only listened for a short while before reaching out to grab the letter.

“I’ll read it myself.”

The little one took the letter and began reading.

It was a thick stack of letters from the Qi Dynasty, all expressing concern for the little one.

Lying on the bed, the little one read through them one by one.

As he read, he sighed softly, “Daddy and Mother, they still don’t believe I’m doing well here.”

“They think I’m pitiful here.”

Especially the letters from his eldest and fourth brothers. The little one could sense their anger just by reading them.

“Didn’t Murong Xu explain it to them?”

The little one nodded, distressed. “He did, but they didn’t believe him.”

Ah Wu: “…”

Ah Wu fell silent.

There were so many letters, the little one only managed to read a few before running out of time.

After Ah Wu finished massaging his legs, he urged him to eat.

Before the meal, Ah Wu neatly arranged the unread letters and placed them on the bed.

Soon, the dishes were brought in.

As the little one ate, he occasionally said, “Ah Wu, you don’t need to feed me. I can eat by myself.”

The reason the little one had grown so quickly after arriving here was inseparable from Ah Wu’s constant feeding.

When Ah Wu used to raise the little cub, he always let them eat first from the prey he brought back.

He would tear off the tenderest pieces of meat for the cub, and only when their bellies were full and round, and they couldn’t eat anymore, would he eat the remaining prey.

Because of this habit, Ah Wu was still accustomed to feeding the little one until his belly was round and full.

Although the little one had said not to feed him, Ah Wu stopped only briefly, and soon fed him a braised rib.

After they finished eating, the little one wanted to continue reading the letters. Ah Wu stayed with him for a while, reminding him, “If you get tired, take a nap. I’m going out for a bit.”

Noble Consort Jia was only imprisoned; she wasn’t dead yet.

He couldn’t afford to relax at this moment.

The little one nodded and leaned in, rubbing his head against Ah Wu before watching him leave.

As soon as Ah Wu stepped out of the Eastern Palace, the gentle expression on his face vanished. His warmth appeared only in front of the little one.

The Empress and Noble Consort Jia were sisters, and now both of them were about to fall. Naturally, their families couldn’t sit still.

Even if Noble Consort Jia had truly poisoned the Empress, her family would still try to save her and clear her name.

Besides clearing Noble Consort Jia’s name, they were also selecting new women to enter the palace.

If they couldn’t save Noble Consort Jia, they wanted to ensure that Emperor Qing would continue to favor the women of their family.

Ah Wu, however, wouldn’t let them succeed.

Noble Consort Jia had her family, and Ah Wu had his maternal grandfather.

At his grandfather’s house, after discussing things in private, Ah Wu was about to leave when his grandmother stopped him. She was supported by a richly dressed woman, her hair white but her eyes still sharp.

“I heard that the Seventh Prince of the Qi Dynasty has entered your Eastern Palace.”

For some reason, his grandmother brought this up. “I’ve heard he’s a clever child. Next time you come, bring him with you so we can see him.”

Ah Wu didn’t agree, nor did he refuse.

He merely replied indifferently, “Let’s talk about it next time.”

After exchanging a few more words with his grandmother, Ah Wu left.

As he departed, those behind him watched his back, frowning slightly.

His grandmother sighed, “No matter how many times I see the Crown Prince, I always find him too cold.”

The woman supporting her, Madam Cong, sighed as well. “We’ve done so much to support him, yet when he ascends the throne, who knows how he’ll treat our family.”

Their conversation was overheard by Old Master Cong, who was passing by. He glanced at them before leaving.

Ah Wu was busy outside for quite some time, and after finishing his tasks, he returned to the palace. Before he could go back to the Eastern Palace, Emperor Qing summoned him.

The Emperor looked at his son, who had been called over, with a heavy gaze. “Was the Empress’s death related to you?”

The Emperor’s question was direct, but Huo Qinwu was no fool. How could he answer such a thing?

His face remained expressionless as he denied any involvement in the Empress’s death.

Although he denied it, Emperor Qing did not believe him.

Father and son sat face to face, conversing, while the little one, halfway through reading his letters, had gone out for a stroll.

He had collected a bunch of brightly colored flower petals from the garden, which he carefully put into a small cloth bag, planning to sprinkle them in the water for his evening foot bath.

He was picking up flower petals and, while doing so, ended up near the palace gate of the elderly woman he often visited.

As he looked at the gate, he thought to himself that since he was already there, he might as well go over. His small footsteps carried him to the window, and he pressed his ear against it.

He wanted to hear a story.

Just as he perked up his ears, ready to listen, an elderly voice suddenly sounded.

“Come in and listen.”

It was the elderly woman, looking toward the window, speaking in a soft voice.

The little one was startled, his beautiful eyes blinking in surprise. He cautiously moved closer to the window and met the gaze of the elderly woman looking his way.

The little one: “….”

The little one froze.

Caught red-handed, he walked in anxiously with his chubby little face filled with nervousness.

The elderly woman carefully observed him for a while and then nodded. “Seeing you up close, you look even better.”

The little one could tell she was complimenting him, so he obediently said, “Thank you.”

The elderly woman pointed to a chair beside her and said, “Sit down. Choose the story you want to hear.”

As she spoke, she had someone bring over several thick storybooks and handed them to him.

These books contained a variety of stories.

The little one was dazzled by the choices.

After a long while, he picked a story about a little white snake that became a spirit and came to the human world.

With the story selected, a palace maid began reading it aloud.

The maid had a lovely voice, and the way she told the story was so immersive that the little one became completely absorbed in it.

There was food and drink on the table, but the little one sat obediently in his chair, listening to the story, without touching any of the food or drinks.

By the time the story was finished, the sky outside had grown completely dark.

“I—I need to go now.”

The little one glanced at the dark sky, feeling a bit anxious.

He hadn’t returned to the Eastern Palace this late before, and Ah Wu might start to worry if he couldn’t find him.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Empress Dowager.”

The little one knew the identity of this elderly woman dressed in simple clothes. He had been in the palace long enough to learn about the important figures.

People in the palace tended to avoid talking about the Empress Dowager, as if they were somewhat afraid of her.

However, the little one didn’t pay much attention to their fear.

After all, the people in the palace had spread rumors about his Ah Wu, speaking ill of him.

“No need to thank me.”

The Empress Dowager rarely encountered a child so fond of listening to stories. She watched as the little one disappeared from her sight, then slowly stood up, supporting herself on the table, and went to wash up for the night.

In the days that followed, the little one continued to visit the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager would invite him to listen to stories, and the little one would bring gifts in return—small trinkets he had bought outside the palace and even some of his toys, which he shared with the Empress Dowager.

Although the two didn’t speak much, they often shared their treasured items with one another.

Ah Wu knew everything the little one was doing.

He didn’t stop him from building a good relationship with the Empress Dowager. In this palace, the Empress Dowager was the person he found hardest to read.

The Empress Dowager hadn’t harmed him, and he hadn’t harmed her, so they left each other in peace.

“Ah Wu, this is really tasty.”

Sometimes, the little one would bring back some rare food from the Empress Dowager’s place. This time, he had brought back fruit that had been tributed from a vassal state of Great Qing.

He didn’t bring much, clearly having saved it up for Ah Wu rather than eating it himself.

Ah Wu tasted one piece and then stopped. He patted the little one’s head and softly said, “You eat the rest, Little Seven.”

Life in the palace was quite relaxed for the little one.

He wandered around the palace, and when he got tired, he would go to the Empress Dowager’s place for a meal and a story. When it got late, he would return to the Eastern Palace, where Ah Wu would play with him.

This leisurely life continued for one or two months.

During these two months, Noble Consort Jia was not able to escape punishment. In the end, she was given white silk to end her life, and her death was neither dignified nor peaceful.

With the deaths of both the Empress and Noble Consort Jia, Emperor Qing’s harem was completely reshuffled.

The Empress’s family had sent in a few beauties, but without exception, all of them ran into problems and couldn’t establish themselves in the palace.

The consort who now enjoyed the most favor from the emperor had no illustrious family background and seemed to have no connection to the previous dynasty.

However, what no one knew was that this favored consort was loyal to the Crown Prince.

Unlike the Empress and Noble Consort Jia, Emperor Qing was incredibly shrewd and skilled, having survived many years of intrigue.

In other words, he was hard to kill.

Ah Wu was constantly coming up with new ways to try and kill Emperor Qing, but a letter from Guan Shan Residence Academy forced him to pause his efforts.

Guan Shan Residence Academy, a place so unpredictable that no one could figure out its routines, had issued a sudden notice that the school was reopening.

Upon receiving the notice, Ah Wu hesitated for a moment and then informed the little one.

“Little Seven, do you want to go?”

“Yes!” The little one’s eyes lit up when he heard the news.

He was eager for school to start. “Ah Wu, I really want to go to school!”

Although he had been keeping in touch with his classmates and teacher by letter, it had been a long time since he had seen them.

Now, knowing he could meet everyone again, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

“I miss Big Boss so much!” the little one said, practically drooling at the thought of him.

Ah Wu: “…”

Ah Wu saw right through him and said, “I think you’re just missing Big Boss’s noodles.”

With the reopening of Guan Shan Residence Academy, both Ah Wu and the little one were preparing to go.

Emperor Qing couldn’t wait for the Crown Prince, whom he disliked, to be far away from him, so he wholeheartedly supported and approved of their departure.

While the emperor supported the Crown Prince leaving, he hesitated when it came to the young prince from Qi Dynasty.

He even had the intention of keeping the young prince detained a bit longer.

But this idea of Emperor Qing didn’t succeed.

No one, not even Emperor Qing, had the right to stop the students of Guan Shan Residence Academy from returning, if they so wished.

Emperor Qing was bloodthirsty and warlike, and he originally had no intention of following this rule of Guan Shan Residence Academy.

But then the Empress Dowager summoned him.

After that, Emperor Qing no longer kept the young prince detained.

During his final days in the Great Qing Palace, the little one made sure to write letters to his father and mother and sent them off.

Before returning to Guan Shan Residence Academy, he was determined to bring his daddy with him!

After finishing most of his preparations, it was time for him to leave.

Before departing, the little one went to bid farewell to the Empress Dowager.

“Empress Dowager, I will come back in the future.”

Having spent so much time with the Empress Dowager, the little one was now a bit worried about the elderly Empress Dowager as he prepared to leave.

“Don’t always stay cooped up in the palace. When the sun is out, go bask in it; it’ll improve your mood!”

“And with all these storybooks, you can listen to them by yourself for now. When I return, we’ll listen to them together.”

The little one rambled on for quite a while before finally stepping forward and hugging the Empress Dowager.

“I’m leaving now, Empress Dowager. Goodbye.”

His hug was warm.

The Empress Dowager allowed him to hug her briefly. Her wrinkled face showed no particular expression.

A few days later.

Ah Wu left the palace with the little one. Before leaving, the entire harem had already been quieted, and not only was the harem peaceful, but the imperial court was also under Ah Wu’s control without any disturbances.

He left without leaving any hidden dangers for himself.

The little one didn’t quite understand the things Ah Wu had done; he just sat with Ah Wu in the carriage. But after sitting for a short while, he started complaining that the carriage was too slow.

“Ah Wu, can we go faster? I want to see my father and mother as soon as possible.”

“Alright.”

Ah Wu indulged the little one’s request without hesitation.

He transformed into his original form, letting the little one sit on his back, and with lightning speed, they sped toward Qi Dynasty.

While the little one was rushing back, in the Qi Dynasty Palace, Emperor Ling was also contemplating whether or not to go to Guan Shan Residence Academy.

If he went to Guan Shan Residence Academy, how long would he stay?

Guan Shan Residence Academy was so far from Qi Dynasty—could he still manage state affairs while undergoing treatment?

These concerns were gently dispelled by Noble Consort Yi, who coaxed him: “The most important thing right now is for you to get treated. Didn’t Little Seven say that Guan Shan Residence Academy is like a magical place?”

“If you go to Guan Shan Residence Academy, maybe your illness will be completely cured.”

“As for court affairs, don’t you have two capable princes to handle them?”

Emperor Ling knew his own condition well; without help from Shui Shui, he wouldn’t last much longer.

Going to Guan Shan Residence Academy was his only chance at survival.

“Your Majesty, preserving your health is the most important thing.”

Noble Consort Yi said softly, “Little Seven still wants you to spend more time with him.”

With Little Seven’s wishes in mind, Emperor Ling hesitated no longer and agreed to go to Guan Shan Residence Academy.

Initially, he wanted the Eldest Prince to act as regent, but the Eldest Prince declined.

Frowning, Emperor Ling ultimately decided to let the Eldest Prince and the Fourth Prince govern jointly, while Noble Consort Yi would manage the harem.

After the Empress had fallen ill recently, it was the Eldest Prince who, out of concern for his mother, suggested to Emperor Ling that Noble Consort Yi be entrusted with the harem.

Emperor Ling accepted this suggestion.

With the court and harem now settled, Emperor Ling waited for the little one to return, all the while conversing casually with Shui Shui: “At Guan Shan Residence Academy, they disregard status. So when I get there, I will also have to live like an ordinary person?”

Having been raised in luxury his whole life, Emperor Ling, born a prince, had never experienced what it was like to be an ordinary person.

The “disregard for status” at Guan Shan Residence Academy bothered him somewhat.

Shui Shui, who would be accompanying Emperor Ling, wasn’t particularly concerned with what bothered the Emperor.

He was more focused on another issue: “Can’t we bring the Third Prince with us?”

Guan Shan Residence Academy had only granted Emperor Ling one place, and Shui Shui himself was allowed to go as a special case. There was no way they could bring along the Third Prince.

Both of them were speaking their own minds, unable to relieve each other’s worries.

While Emperor Ling was still inquiring about the rules of Guan Shan Residence Academy, before he could finish, the little one had already rushed back.

After only two days of reuniting with everyone, he was already in a hurry to start school.

“Niang Niang, I’ll take good care of Daddy. You stay in the palace and don’t miss me too much,” the little one said hurriedly, ready to leave with his father.

Before leaving, he hugged Noble Consort Yi around the neck and gave her several pecks on her cheek. Noble Consort Yi hugged her little one back, kissed his chubby cheeks, and gently reminded him, “You don’t need to worry about taking care of him; you’re still young. Let him take care of you.”