Noble Consort Yi wasn’t too eager to see Emperor Ling either. She felt more at ease once he left the palace. Many things became easier for her to handle.
It wasn’t just Noble Consort Yi who wanted Emperor Ling out of the palace; the First Prince and Fourth Prince also shared that wish. The two princes now had common goals and ambitions to achieve, but as long as their father stayed in the palace, they couldn’t fully carry them out.
Unaware of being unwanted, Emperor Ling left the palace with some reluctance, still concerned about both the inner court and the government.
“Mother, brothers, sisters, I’m leaving now!”
The little one sat in the carriage, waving enthusiastically at everyone. In just two days, he hadn’t had enough time to cling to everyone as much as he would’ve liked.
So, at this moment of parting, the little one was filled with reluctance.
“Little Seven, take care of yourself out there. If you’re bullied, make sure to write home.”
The little one hurried back, picked up his father, and was off again.
“Little Seven, whether you’re being bullied or not, always remember to write home often.”
Everyone was visibly reluctant to part with the little one. In their eyes, their child had spent this year in a state of constant upheaval.
It took a long time to say their goodbyes before the little one could finally depart.
Even after riding in the carriage for a while, the little one kept twisting his head to look back.
Emperor Ling held him close and gently turned his little head forward.
“Alright, stop looking back. You can’t see anything anymore.”
“Father, I already miss Mother.”
The little one sniffled, genuinely missing Noble Consort Yi.
If it weren’t for Guan Shan Residence Academy’s strict rules, he would have wanted to bring his entire family with him to school.
“Doesn’t Guan Shan Residence Academy have breaks? When the holidays come, you’ll be able to see your mother again.”
Emperor Ling comforted the little one while holding him. Ah Wu wasn’t riding in the same carriage as them.
With Emperor Ling and Shui Shui there, Ah Wu didn’t appear much in front of them during the journey.
On the way, after spending time with his father, the little one went to play with Shui Shui.
He poked Shui Shui’s arm and asked, “Shui Shui, you don’t want to go to Guan Shan Residence Academy?”
Shui Shui nodded.
The little one tilted his head, confused. “Why don’t you want to go? Last time you were so curious about Guan Shan Residence Academy.”
Shui Shui didn’t reply.
Seeing that he wasn’t going to get an answer, the little one changed the topic.
Resting his chubby face on his hands, he asked Shui Shui about his father’s condition: “Shui Shui, why is my father’s head illness so hard to cure? He’s been getting treated for so long.”
His father had become thinner than ever.
Since the little one returned, he felt that his father’s condition had worsened compared to when he had left the palace a few months ago.
Shui Shui had been sworn to secrecy by Emperor Ling, so he couldn’t tell the truth.
After a brief pause, he replied, “You can ask your father.”
It wasn’t something he could say, but Little Seven could ask Emperor Ling himself.
The two children sat together, and with the little one chatting away, Shui Shui’s mood seemed to improve a bit.
Along the journey, they encountered a few assassination attempts.
However, none of the assassins got close to the little one before being dealt with.
Unaware of the assassination attempts, the little one was busy counting on his fingers, estimating how many days were left before they arrived.
As he counted, he also repeatedly checked his reflection in a mirror, focusing on his teeth.
The tooth he had lost early on had already been replaced by a new one, but unfortunately, just as his new tooth grew in, another tooth fell out elsewhere.
So, at this point, the little one was still a gap-toothed child.
He had asked people, and they told him that children could keep losing teeth until they were twelve years old!
Thinking about how long the process of losing and growing teeth could take, the little one almost felt despair.
Luckily, Shui Shui noticed how much he cared about his teeth. After inspecting his mouth, Shui Shui cleared his throat seriously.
The little one thought Shui Shui was about to offer some special trick to prevent tooth loss or a helpful tip for growing new teeth. He looked at him with great anticipation.
Under the eager gaze of the little one, Shui Shui calmly said, “I’ve checked, and your teeth are very neat. Just make sure you don’t get cavities like before. If your new teeth get cavities, they’ll be hard to fix.”
“And also, no need to keep checking the mirror. You’re still cute, even without teeth.”
The little one: “…”
Disappointment filled the little one’s big, bright eyes since he didn’t hear what he had hoped for.
As time passed, Emperor Ling, jostled by the carriage ride, wasn’t feeling well. Whether it was the uncomfortable ride or his anxiety about Guan Shan Residence Academy, his health took a turn for the worse.
Shui Shui treated him along the way, but it was quite a challenge.
Finally, after what felt like an endless journey, they arrived at the checkpoint for Guan Shan Residence Academy.
The little one excitedly took out his student ID. This ID was issued by the academy, and having it meant they were officially students there.
“Ah, Little Seven is back.”
The little one had quite a reputation at Guan Shan Residence Academy, so upon his return, someone at the checkpoint immediately recognized him. “Oh, Little Seven has grown a bit, and his little face looks even more handsome now.”
Some children become less cute as they grow, but no matter how the little one grew, he remained just as adorable.
Recently, his round little face had become chubbier, soft and cuddly, like a little bun.
“Little Seven, you can bring your father and this… Shui Shui, right? You can bring them along, but the others can’t come in.”
They had brought quite a few people with them when leaving the palace. Those people were useful on the journey, but now that they had reached Guan Shan Residence Academy, they couldn’t go in any further.
The little one knew the rules and nodded obediently. “Yes, I’m only bringing my Daddy and Shui Shui.”
Ah Wu had his own student ID, so he didn’t need the little one to bring him in.
Emperor Ling frowned as he saw all the people he had brought with him being stopped outside.
Without their service, how would he manage inside the academy?
Emperor Ling wasn’t in the best of moods.
The little one arranged for everyone to stay outside. Then, with his father and Shui Shui in tow, he led the way, walking confidently inside.
“Little Seven.”
After a few steps, Emperor Ling couldn’t hold back anymore and asked, “Once we’re inside, can we buy some servants?”
Since the people outside couldn’t come in, Emperor Ling thought it might be a good idea to buy some servants inside to help.
The little one thought for a moment.
Then, after leading his father forward a few more steps, he pointed to a large stone in front of them and proudly tilted his chubby chin toward it, motioning for his father to look.
On the stone were large characters:
“Everyone is equal.”
These characters were a direct challenge to the emperor of a feudal dynasty.
Emperor Ling’s face darkened.
The little one tugged on his hand and said, “Father, Guan Shan Residence Academy is different from the outside world.”
“This place is simply outrageous.”
As soon as Emperor Ling entered, he could already feel that he definitely wouldn’t fit in here.
He even had the sense that he wouldn’t be able to stay long, but if he turned around and left, there would be no one to cure his illness.
“Father, if you see something you don’t want to see, just pretend you didn’t see it.”
The little one comforted his father, “Once your treatment is done, you can go back.”
He coaxed his father, encouraging him to bear with it for a while.
After all, the reputation of Guan Shan Residence Academy was not something either of them could afford to challenge.
Since they couldn’t do anything about Guan Shan Residence Academy, he figured it was best for his father to simply ignore things, lest he get more upset and worsen his condition.
After the long and tiring journey, Emperor Ling was already quite exhausted.
He had hoped to get some proper rest upon arrival, but after taking just a few steps inside, he felt agitated all over again.
“Daddy, we’re almost there, almost there.”
The little one brought his father to the best room in an inn, which was one of Ah Wu’s properties, so they didn’t have to pay for the stay.
“Daddy, rest here for a while. I’ll order some food for you.”
“The food here is really delicious.”
The little one arranged for hot water, so his father could freshen up behind a screen, while he sat on a chair, flipping through the menu to order dishes for his father.
Without any servants to assist, Emperor Ling undressed, took a bath, and changed into clean clothes by himself.
After changing, there was no one to help him dry his hair either.
In his first hour at Guan Shan Residence Academy, Emperor Ling was already forced to do everything himself.
He found it deeply uncomfortable, but Shui Shui, who had come with him, seemed to adapt quite well.
“Daddy, have something to eat and take a nap. I’ll wake you up later.”
The food the little one ordered was already served. After eating with his father, he watched as Shui Shui gave his father another acupuncture treatment.
Emperor Ling’s exhaustion hit him full force after the acupuncture session, and though he hadn’t yet explored all of Guan Shan Residence Academy, he first collapsed into a deep sleep at the inn.
Once his father fell asleep, the little one finally had a chance to head out.
“Shui Shui, you stay here and rest with my father. I’ll be back soon.”
“If you need anything, just ask the innkeeper—Ah Wu owns this place.”
“Alright,” Shui Shui replied, watching him leave.
Once outside, the little one walked onto the street, a big smile on his face, greeting everyone he saw.
As he passed a small stall, the stall owner, holding a chubby baby who was still unsteady on his feet, looked at him in surprise and delight. “Little Seven, you’re back?”
The little one grinned, showing his small gap-toothed smile, and said excitedly, “Yeah! I’m back!”
The stall owner was overjoyed to see him. “After you left, my wife and I missed you a lot.”
“Little Seven, thank you so much. If you hadn’t touched my wife’s belly, we wouldn’t have been able to have such a cute baby.”
The man wasn’t particularly handsome, and although he found his wife attractive, in truth, neither of them had striking features.
Yet their baby had turned out exceptionally beautiful, as if combining all the best traits of both parents and even the grandparents. Now, their baby looked perfect.
The couple believed it was Little Seven’s touch that had brought them such good fortune.
Hearing the stall owner’s joyful words, the little one crouched down and gave the chubby baby a hug.
The baby didn’t act shy at all and threw himself into the little one’s arms, wrapping his tiny hands around his neck and babbling, “Go, go!”
The chubby baby wanted to be taken out to play, so he clung to the little one, urging him to carry him away.
The little one lifted him up and actually walked a few steps.
The stall owner watched them play together, smiling so wide that his eyes were almost hidden.
After playing with the chubby baby for a while, the little one put him down and prepared to continue on his way.
Knowing the little one had just arrived and probably had many things to attend to, the stall owner didn’t hold him back.
“Here, take some candy. You can either eat it yourself or share it with others.”
Just like before, the stall owner still had the habit of stuffing the little one’s pockets with candy. He filled his pockets with sweet treats, and even before the little one could taste them, he already felt a sweetness in his heart.
Patting his now bulging pockets, the little one said his goodbyes and continued striding forward.
Though he had been gone for more than two years, Guan Shan Residence Academy hadn’t changed much.
The stalls were a bit different, but the feeling Guan Shan Residence Academy gave him remained just the same.
He squinted his eyes in contentment, feeling utterly relaxed and happy.
“Uncle Zhang San, good afternoon!”
“Master Liu, I’m back!”
“Have you seen Big Boss? I want to find him first.”
“The other students haven’t arrived yet? Oh, that’s fine. I’m not in a hurry for class either.”
The little one had returned to Guan Shan Residence Academy to reunite with everyone, and he also wanted to play with them.
As for lessons, those could wait.
Greeting people as he went, the little one left the bustling street and turned onto a quieter, more secluded path.
This path was one he had walked many, many times.
Following it all the way would lead to the residence of the Chief Examiner.
Thinking of the Chief Examiner, his thoughts wandered to Lian Qing.
When he left, he had given his room to Uncle Lian Qing.
Now that he was back, he wondered if Uncle Lian Qing was still staying in his room.
“Sigh, I kind of want my room back too.”
Though he had been in high spirits until now, the thought of his room made him let out a small sigh.
As he walked along, the little one deliberately looked at the trees on both sides of the road.
This time, Uncle Lian Qing wasn’t up in the trees.
After walking for quite a while, the little one finally saw the familiar door of the Chief Examiner’s house. Seeing that door, waves of emotion surged in him.
His eyes reddened involuntarily as he touched the closed door with his small hand. Instead of knocking, just like the first time he came, he squeezed through a small hole and slipped inside.
He wanted to surprise the Chief Examiner!
The little one knew the Chief Examiner’s house very well.
After circling the house, he found the hole and crawled in quietly, sneaking into the house and making his way inside.
The Chief Examiner’s house was well-built, with a north-south orientation allowing plenty of light during the day. But now it was evening, and the light was a bit dim.
Looking at the furnishings inside, the little one’s eyes reddened even more.
Two years had passed, and finally, the little one had returned!
Holding back his tears, the little one eagerly searched for the Chief Examiner. He checked the study and the kitchen but didn’t find him.
After searching all over, the little one’s excitement began to wane.
He furrowed his little brow and rummaged around in the kitchen, where he found a pot of stir-fried noodles and some fried chicken, along with a drink on the counter.
The noodles and chicken were still warm, and the drink was cold. The little one touched his belly, realizing he was hungry.
“Big Boss must’ve known I was coming back and made noodles for me.”
Holding the bowl, the little one felt moved again.
He finished the noodles in the kitchen, drank the drink, and then, filled with gratitude, sneaked into the Chief Examiner’s bedroom.
The curtains in the bedroom were drawn, making the room dim.
Even though the light was faint, it didn’t stop the little one from seeing things clearly.
He immediately noticed the lump on the bed — someone was sleeping under the covers!
“Big Boss?”
The little one called out.
There was no response from the lump under the covers.
After calling again with no reply, the little one climbed onto the bed, kicked off his little shoes, and crawled under the covers.
He lifted the blanket and hugged the person inside.
“Big Boss, I’m back!”
The little one snuggled up to the person under the blanket, pressing his face against their chest.
The person being hugged: “?”
Who was hugging him?!
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, the Chief Examiner, who had just returned, looked at the empty bowls and plates and the drink that had been consumed. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he muttered, “Someone had a good appetite today.”
He had made a lot of food, but it was all gone, not a single bite left. Even the bowl looked like it had been licked clean, shining in the light.
The Chief Examiner, looking at the spotless bowl, was quite proud of his culinary skills for the day.
He placed the dishes in the sink, washed them, and then headed straight for the bedroom.
Moments later.
The Chief Examiner opened the bedroom door, and his mouth twitched.
LET’S GOOOO! THE SHIP SAILED!!!