During the bumpy ride, Emperor Ling didn’t utter a single complaint. His mind was focused on returning home.
“Daddy, what’s the first thing you’ll do when we get back?” the little one asked, lying on his father’s lap.
“Attend court,” Emperor Ling answered without hesitation.
The child responded with a “hmm” and shook his father’s large hand, “Aren’t you going to see mother?”
“Of course,” Emperor Ling smiled as he pinched his son’s soft little cheeks, “I’ve missed your mother as well.”
Father and son passed the time by talking as they made their way to the palace. Meanwhile, in the palace, word had already reached the officials, and they were gathered to discuss the situation.
The Eldest Prince, Ling Chen, frowned as he asked, “Is there any way to stop him from returning?”
Ling Hao shook his head, his face serious, “No, Royal Father is already on his way. There’s no stopping him now.”
Murong Xu, who was also present, couldn’t come up with a solution either.
None of them wanted Emperor Ling to return, but they couldn’t think of a way to prevent it.
Just as they were all frowning in frustration, Ling Yi, who rarely participated, offered a solution.
“Brother,” Ling Yi said, unable to bear seeing his elder brother so troubled, “Shui Shui suggested knocking Father out, letting him sleep for a while, and by the time he wakes up, he’ll have to return to Guan Shan Residence anyway.”
Such a straightforward and rough plan could only come from Shui Shui.
Ling Yi’s proposal was met with stares of disbelief from Ling Chen and Ling Hao, as if they were looking at a fool.
“And who’s going to knock Father out?”
“Shui Shui said he would do it.”
Ling Chen and Ling Hao were speechless. They knew Shui Shui could be reckless, but they didn’t expect him to go this far.
“Stop suggesting nonsense. Tell Shui Shui to behave and stay in the palace.”
Ling Chen dismissed the idea and told Ling Yi to keep Shui Shui in check.
As for how to stop Emperor Ling from returning, they would have to keep discussing.
Time passed without them coming up with a good strategy. In the end, they could only take things as they came. Now that they had just reorganized the government, even if Father returned, they had no intention of giving in.
Ling Chen and Ling Hao shared the same determination. They exchanged glances and saw the resolve in each other’s eyes.
The lesson of a weakened nation being bullied was one they had learned well.
After much discussion, they finally parted ways. As they were leaving, a palace servant reported to Ling Chen, “Your Highness, the Empress is feeling unwell and wishes to see you.”
“If Royal Mother is unwell, have Imperial Physicians Zhang and Li see her.”
Ling Chen said coldly, “I have important matters to deal with. Once I’m done, I’ll visit her.”
With that, Ling Chen turned and left.
The relationship between him and the Empress now was less like mother and son and more like enemies.
The Empress was furious at his disobedience.
While Ling Chen and the Fourth Prince were jointly managing the court, the Empress had ignored his warnings and still tried to get rid of the Fourth Prince, thinking it would secure Ling Chen’s succession.
But he wasn’t having it.
To focus on his work, Ling Chen had even taken action against those close to the Empress.
Now, the Empress couldn’t even send messages outside the palace.
No one in the palace was looking forward to Emperor Ling’s return, but regardless of their feelings, he was coming back.
A few days later, Emperor Ling’s carriage arrived at the palace gates.
His return may have been low-key, but for those paying attention, it was impossible to miss. As soon as he reached the gates, a crowd of people knelt before him.
“Your Majesty, you’ve finally returned!”
Sorrowful voices came from outside the carriage. The child lifted the curtain, startled by the scene, and quickly tried to close it again. But the people kneeling on the ground had already begun to wail.
Those kneeling wept bitterly, lamenting the rebellious actions of the Eldest Prince and Fourth Prince since Emperor Ling’s departure.
With tears and cries of loyalty, they proposed that the young prince in the carriage should inherit the throne.
They wanted the young prince to replace the Eldest Prince and the Fourth Prince.
They didn’t make this suggestion rashly; before proposing it, they were already aware of how much the Emperor favored the young prince. Given the Emperor’s deep affection for him, the idea of the young prince succeeding the throne was definitely something the Emperor had considered.
The ministers, kneeling on the ground, said all these things, and the little one heard every word.
After listening, the little one’s eyes widened. “So, you’re here to complain?”
The ministers kowtowed, respectfully bowing to the young prince and pleading for him to take on the responsibility.
Even though they had cried and pleaded for a long time, they had only seen the young prince; the Emperor still hadn’t made an appearance. Their faces were filled with grief, but in their hearts, they were full of doubt and confusion. Could it be that their heartfelt complaints hadn’t moved the Emperor?
“You’ve wasted your time complaining,” the little one said. “My father is asleep. He sleeps very deeply, so he didn’t hear anything you just said.”
The Emperor wasn’t always such a heavy sleeper; it was because he was still taking the medicine from Guan Shan Residence. After drinking the medicine, he would feel drowsy. Right now, in the carriage, the Emperor was fast asleep.
When the young prince said this, the ministers were dumbfounded.
Just as they were in shock, the Eldest Prince and the Fourth Prince arrived with their attendants. The ministers were driven away, and before they left, they glared at the two princes with intense hatred.
Those ministers were the remaining corrupt officials from court who the Eldest Prince and the Fourth Prince hadn’t yet rooted out. They wanted the Emperor to protect them.
The two princes “invited” the ministers to leave, and then they approached the carriage, looking at the little one inside.
Being the eldest brother, the Eldest Prince had some privileges. He was the first to pick up the young prince.
After six months of separation, the little one had missed his big brother dearly. He wrapped his arms around his brother’s neck and gave him several kisses on the cheek. “Big brother, I missed you so much!”
The Eldest Prince’s eyes gleamed with joy as his little brother smothered him with kisses.
The little one didn’t play favorites. After showering the Eldest Prince with kisses, he also kissed the Fourth Prince on the cheek.
The two princes, cherishing their little brother who had finally returned, were reluctant to let him go.
After they had all shared a moment, the princes asked the little one, “Why is Royal Father still sleeping?”
“Daddy took some medicine that makes him very sleepy. He’ll wake up after a little more rest.”
“Got it,” the Eldest Prince replied.
The father and son smoothly returned to the palace. When the Emperor awoke, it was already late, and Noble Consort Yi had arranged a banquet to celebrate his return. Because of this, he hadn’t yet had time to deal with state affairs.
At the banquet, there was lively music and dancing, and the atmosphere was warm and festive.
The Empress finally emerged from her quarters, but before taking her seat, she exchanged a few words with the Eldest Prince.
“Yi Er, you’ve worked hard managing the harem over the past six months,” the Emperor said kindly, pouring alcohol himself to offer comfort to Noble Consort Yi.
She took the cup and downed it in one gulp. A slight blush rose on her face, her beauty momentarily stunning the Emperor.
Despite the passing years, time seemed to have left no mark on her face. She remained as stunning as ever.
The little one, seeing them drink, wanted to sneak a drink himself. Sitting beside the Emperor, he quietly reached for his father’s alcohol.
His expression wasn’t right, as if up to no good.
Noble Consort Yi, always observant, noticed the little one sneakily tipping the cup to his lips. She immediately asked, “Little Seven, what are you drinking?”
The little one’s hand shook at her words, and what was supposed to be a tiny sip turned into a big gulp. The spicy flavor hit his throat hard.
He started coughing violently, his little face turning red, and tears welled up in his eyes.
The Emperor quickly scooped him up, patting his back, while Noble Consort Yi took the cup from his hand and sniffed it. “It’s alcohol,” she said.
The Emperor’s expression darkened. A child this young couldn’t handle alcohol. He kept patting the little one’s back, urging him to spit it out.
The little one didn’t need much encouragement; he had already coughed most of it up, though the strong taste still lingered, irritating his throat.
The Eldest Prince brought over some cooled water and handed it to Noble Consort Yi to give to the little one.
After some commotion, the little one finally stopped coughing. His eyes were filled with tears, and his face was still flushed.
If it weren’t for the crowd, Noble Consort Yi would’ve given him a good scolding. She restrained herself because of the occasion, but the Emperor couldn’t hold back. He gave the young prince’s hand a light slap and scolded, “You dare sneak a drink!”
The little one, knowing he was in the wrong, hung his head and leaned against his father without saying a word.
“Royal Father, Little Seven was just curious. I’m sure he knows better now. Don’t be too harsh on him,” the Eldest Prince interjected. Although he agreed the boy needed discipline, he also saw the little one’s dejected look and didn’t want to press the issue further.
The incident didn’t last long. The Emperor couldn’t stay angry at his son for long. He put the little one back in his chair, swapped out his cup, and let him continue eating.
The banquet resumed, but the Empress watched them with a cold gaze. She looked at the Emperor, then at the little one beside him, feeling deeply resentful.
If this child hadn’t been around, the palace wouldn’t be like this. She wouldn’t have lost her control over the inner court, and her sons wouldn’t have distanced themselves from her.
The Emperor should’ve died long ago, and her son should have already ascended the throne. Everything she once had was now ruined by this child.
The empress tightly clenched her fingers, but, as always, her expression showed no emotion.
The banquet lasted less than an hour before it ended.
Although the little one had coughed up a good amount of the alcohol earlier, he still absorbed some of it. By the end of the meal, his face was flushed, and his small head kept nodding off, barely able to keep his eyes open.
Before he could slump over entirely, the emperor gently supported his head with his large hand and then announced the conclusion of the banquet.
No one even stayed to see the fireworks show that was supposed to cap the evening.
After dismissing the banquet, the emperor, unsurprisingly, spent the night in Noble Consort Yi’s palace.
The little one slept soundly, and both the emperor and Noble Consort Yi were worried about his health, staying by his side for quite some time before finally feeling reassured enough to leave.
That night, back in his own quarters, the emperor felt at ease for the first time in a long while.
At Guan Shan Residence, he had even gotten into arguments with vegetable vendors at the market.
What was most frustrating was that he couldn’t win any of those arguments!
Now that he was back at the palace, the emperor couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. He even considered staying here and not returning to Guan Shan Residence at all.
However, that idea was clearly unrealistic. The doctor had already told him before he left that he still needed to continue his treatment.
“Yi Er, do you want to come to Guan Shan Residence with me?” the emperor asked as he laid in bed, holding her close. He looked down at her and said, “If you come, we can live there together with Little Seven.”
Noble Consort Yi: “…”
She knew that Guan Shan Residence had already made an exception by allowing the emperor to stay there. Asking for another spot for herself was simply out of the question.
“Forget it, you and Little Seven can stay there. Once you’re fully recovered and Little Seven finishes his studies, you can return to the palace, and we’ll be together again.”
To be honest, Noble Consort Yi had no particular desire to go to Guan Shan Residence, except for the sake of being with her child.
“You’re right,” the emperor murmured. “Even if you came to Guan Shan Residence, you might not get used to it.”
At Guan Shan Residence, there were no servants, and the emperor had to do everything himself.
Although Little Seven was a filial child, the emperor still ended up taking care of his little one quite a bit.
The habits he’d developed over the past six months seemed difficult to shake.
The next morning, the emperor woke up early.
Without waiting for anyone to serve him, he dressed himself and even brought Noble Consort Yi’s clothes for her.
Noble Consort Yi woke up a little later, and the emperor hadn’t left yet.
As they chatted, he handed her a cup of water, knowing that she had the habit of drinking some water first thing in the morning.
These small gestures might have gone unnoticed if someone else had done them, but the fact that it was the emperor made all the difference to Noble Consort Yi.
Once both were ready, they checked on their still-sleeping child.
“He’s still asleep. Could it be because of the alcohol last night? Should we have Shui Shui come take a look?”
“Alright, Ji Yan, please call for Shui Shui.”
Before long, Shui Shui arrived and examined the little prince. “It’s nothing serious, just a bit of a hangover. I’ll go make some soup, and once he drinks it, he’ll feel better.”
With that, Shui Shui went off to prepare the soup.
The emperor, realizing the time, prepared to leave. He patted Noble Consort Yi’s hand gently to reassure her. “Once Little Seven drinks the soup, he’ll be fine. I’ll head to court now, but I’ll check on you both later.”
Noble Consort Yi looked at him as he prepared to leave, hesitating as if she had something to say.
“Your Majesty, Little Seven is still asleep. Perhaps you could stay with him a little longer?”
“Let him rest. I’ll be back soon.”
The emperor didn’t heed her advice, eager to attend the morning court session.
As she watched him stride away, Noble Consort Yi let out a sigh. Well, what was bound to happen would happen, no use trying to stop it.
The emperor donned his dragon robe and arrived at the morning court, which was already running late.
Once seated on the throne, he was greeted by the sight of the same officials who had wept the day before, now kneeling again and resuming their sobbing.
As the ministers cried below, the emperor scanned the court.
The noise of the court echoed as the morning went on.
Meanwhile, at Fenghua Palace, the little one had woken up, immediately spotting Noble Consort Yi by his side.
She touched his warm cheek and said gently, “Still a bit warm. Little Seven, you mustn’t touch alcohol again, alright?”
The little one nodded.
Having tasted alcohol for the first time, he found it completely unpalatable, not nearly as good as the drinks his Big Boss gave him.
Still a little groggy, the little one let Noble Consort Yi dress him and wash his face, finally starting to feel more awake.
“Mother, where’s Daddy?”
“Your father went to court. He’ll come to see you once he’s done.”
The little one’s eyes widened in surprise.
Without saying another word, he darted toward the door.
But before he could leave, Shui Shui stopped him, insisting that he drink some soup first.
“It’s ready. Drink it; it’ll help your stomach feel better.”
The little one, in too much of a hurry to drink the soup, was fed a few spoonfuls by Shui Shui.
Once he’d had a few sips, he grabbed a small pouch and, with his little legs, continued rushing forward.
Ling Fu, who had come to play with him, saw him rushing out and wondered aloud, “What’s Little Seven in such a hurry for?”
Noble Consort Yi furrowed her brow, equally unsure of what the little one was up to.
Meanwhile, in court, the emperor realized that many of the ministers he had favored in the past were no longer present.
In disbelief, he looked toward the two princes who were overseeing the kingdom in his absence, his voice rising in astonishment. “All of them… executed?!”
The ministers he had trusted and relied upon were all gone?
These ministers, who had held significant influence in the emperor’s eyes, had already been executed months ago.
Their graves were now covered in grass, but it was only now that the emperor was learning of their fate. Shocked and enraged, he looked at the two princes with a mix of disbelief and fury.
“You all have a lot of nerve!!!”
Emperor Ling was so furious that the veins on the back of his hands bulged, while the two princes he scolded knelt down, but their tone remained neither humble nor arrogant.
“Royal Father, they brought their deaths upon themselves!”
Ling Chen laid out the evidence of the crimes committed by those executed, and the Minister of Justice also stepped forward to testify on his behalf.
The network of connections that the two princes had built within the court came into play at that moment.
Emperor Ling looked down at the ministers and his own sons, his chest heaving violently as anger consumed him.
He had only been out of the palace for half a year, and his two sons had the audacity to kill his people!
The more Emperor Ling thought about it, the angrier he became. His body was already fragile, and in his shock and fury, he suddenly leaned back and fainted.
The people who had been accusing the princes just moments ago were now shocked.
Everyone rushed forward to check on him, but not far away, a young child, who hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet, was running toward them with a small pill in hand.
