Chapter 17
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The innkeeper, having received an answer, bowed and left them alone.
Murong Xu watched the innkeeper’s retreating figure, tempted to ask something but held back.
He placed Ling Rui on the bed and hesitated while covering him. “Ji Yan, Little Seven feels warm. Should we still cover him?”
Ji Yan quickly checked Ling Rui’s temperature. He was warm but not feverish.
“Probably got a bit sunburned this afternoon,” Ji Yan said, instructing a servant to prepare some mung bean soup and bringing out a fresh thin quilt for Ling Rui.
Even under the thin quilt, Ling Rui kicked his little legs, feeling hot.
Murong Xu quickly held the quilt in place, preventing him from kicking it off. “Ji Yan, I think our Little Seven just has a sweet face.”
With such a cute face, not only had he spent all of Murong Xu’s money, but he also needed constant attention.
Ji Yan laughed, “That’s what the Noble Consort also said.”
The little prince looked so sweet and soft, yet he could be quite a handful.
But thanks to him, Fenghua Palace was livelier, and the Noble Consort seemed more spirited.
This energy was something Ji Yan had only seen before the Noble Consort entered the palace.
Years in the palace had worn away not just the Noble Consort’s youth but also her once vibrant spirit.
“Young Master, keep an eye on the little prince. I’ll apply a cool compress to his face.”
“Alright.”
Ling Rui’s face was red, looking different from his usual sleeping state.
Ji Yan gently placed a damp cloth on his face, using methods taught by Imperial Physician Tang to reduce fever.
As Ji Yan carefully tended to Ling Rui, he felt like a little ball of fire, burning hot.
Previously, the little dumpling appearance had only appeared once, and in subsequent times, it always seemed incomplete. But now, he had finally gathered enough energy to transform again.
However, before he could clumsily attempt another transformation, his little ears were grabbed by someone.
Immediately after, his uncle’s voice sounded, “Ji Yan, I think Little Seven still isn’t feeling well. Go pour him some water.”
“Yes.”
Sending Ji Yan off to fetch water, Murong Xu lowered his gaze and pinched the little ears that couldn’t be seen by others. “Little Seven, wake up, wake up and drink some water.”
Ling Rui frowned, unwilling to wake up.
“If you don’t wake up soon, Uncle will leave, and I won’t accompany you to see the lanterns.”
“Wu.”
This time, Ling Rui finally responded. He closed his eyes, shed two tears, and reached out with his small hand.
Murong Xu deliberately avoided his grasp.
After a few attempts like this, Ling Rui finally opened his eyes. His eyelids were red, his eyes were moist, and his beautiful eyes looked at Murong Xu with a pitiful expression.
“Uncle.”
Softened by those moist eyes, Murong Xu couldn’t help but smile. He leaned down and kissed the little one’s forehead. “Uncle is here.”
With Ling Rui awake, the fuzzy feeling in Murong Xu’s palm also faded away.
He let go of Ling Rui’s hand and pinched his chubby cheeks instead. “You… I wonder if you’ll scare my sister.”
Young people are brave; no matter what they encounter, they always face it fearlessly.
Thinking of his older sister in the palace, a hint of worry flashed in Murong Xu’s eyes.
“Uncle.”
Ling Rui called out again, opening his small hands and softly saying, “Hold.”
Murong Xu picked him up and had Ji Yan feed him green bean soup.
After finishing the soup, Ling Rui rubbed his eyes, not wanting to sleep anymore. He reached out and touched Murong Xu’s folding fan, wanting to play with it.
Murong Xu took the fan down and let him hold it to play.
They played in the room for almost half an hour before dinner time.
The three princes and princesses had dinner together, then changed into their outing clothes and went to the lantern festival holding hands.
“Uncle, look!”
Ling Rui tilted his face up for Murong Xu to see. He wore a delicate and cute pink pig mask on his small face.
Murong Xu chuckled at the sight. “Whose little pig is this?”
Ling Rui giggled, “Uncle’s!”
Murong Xu exclaimed dramatically, “It’s my little pig? Then I must take you back. What if someone else takes away such a cute little pig?”
Both the big and the small were smiling with their eyes bent. Ling Rui liked his little uncle who played with him very much.
Although the capital was dark early today, fortunately, the lights along the way illuminated everything brightly.
Ling Rui walked to the center of his brothers and sisters, looking at various lanterns with his mouth wide open in astonishment.
“So beautiful!”
“It’s very pretty!”
Ling Rui and Ling Fu echoed each other, marveling at the various lanterns with wide-eyed wonder.
Ji Yan bought several handheld animal lanterns and distributed them to the children, letting them carry the lanterns as they walked.
The streets were bustling with people, and the accompanying guards were on high alert, fearing any mishaps with the young masters.
Their fears were not unfounded.
While the young masters were immersed in admiring the lanterns, a few drunken men wielding knives suddenly attacked the crowd.
Reacting swiftly, Mu Rongxu, who was following behind with his pig-shaped lantern, swiftly lifted Ling Rui and leaped to an empty space.
The guards protected Ling Ning and Ling Fu and quickly subdued the drunkards.
Once the drunkards were dealt with, adults came to talk to the children.
Throughout the night, Mu Rongxu and the guards remained tense, handling one danger after another.
Meanwhile, the children happily carried their lanterns and enjoyed themselves.
As the night grew deeper, it was time for the young masters to return to the palace.
Ling Rui clung to Mu Rongxu’s neck and refused to let go. “Together,” he insisted.
Mu Rongxu smiled wryly. “I can’t go with you. My home isn’t in the palace. Be good, Little Seven. In a few days, I’ll come into the palace to see you.”
Ling Rui hesitated, reluctant to release his grip.
After a brief standoff and Mu Rongxu’s promise to take him out to play again, Ling Rui finally let go of Mu Rongxu’s hand.
“Little Seven, when you return to the palace, remember to hide your little ears.”
Before handing Ling Rui over to Ji Yan, Mu Rongxu whispered very softly near his ear.
Ling Rui: “….”
Ling Rui looked puzzled. “Huh?”
He didn’t realize that his ears had been exposed while he napped in the afternoon.
“Alright, go back now.”
Mu Rongxu handed him over to Ji Yan, pinched his cheek, and then turned away.
Ling Rui watched his departing figure and sighed softly.
It was so much fun outside; it was a pity he couldn’t go out to play every day.
Upon returning to the palace, Ling Rui laid out all the things he had bought during the outing for Noble Consort Yi to see.
“Yan Yan bought these,” Ling Rui said with a hint of embarrassment after arranging everything. “I didn’t have any money.”
Noble Consort Yi ruffled his hair and asked, “Did you pick these out yourself?”
Ling Rui nodded.
A smile played on Noble Consort Yi’s lips. “If you picked them, it means you bought them. You did well. I really like them.”
Ling Rui’s eyes lit up with joy upon hearing her praise.
Noble Consort Yi tasted each of the snacks Ling Rui had bought and then hung the pig-headed lantern he had brought back in a side hall before allowing him to bathe and sleep.
After a whole day out, he was understandably tired.
Ling Rui sprawled out, his small arms and legs, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Once he was asleep, Ji Yan recounted everything that had happened during the day to Noble Consort Yi in detail.
When Ji Yan mentioned the rescued young girl, she said, “Her name is Yun Qin, fifteen years old. I’ve temporarily placed her in the General’s Residence. Your Highness, would you like to bring her into the palace? Placing her in the General’s Residence might provoke Yong Wang’s interest.”
Yong Wang was Emperor Ling’s elder brother, nearly twenty years older than Emperor Ling. He was extremely lecherous and promiscuous in his private life.
He’s very petty. If he sets his sights on someone and they end up at the General’s Residence, he’ll surely hold a grudge.
“Let’s ask the girl what she wants,” Noble Consort Yi said calmly. “If she wishes to enter the palace, arrange for her to come. If not, let her stay at the residence.”
Ji Yan bowed her head in acknowledgment.
After discussing all the matters seen outside, Noble Consort Yi waved her hand, dismissing Ji Yan to rest.
The young child on the bed was still asleep. Noble Consort Yi looked at the sketch of the little dumpling that Ji Yan had drawn from the tavern, contemplating for a long while.
Ling Rui never guarded against her.
From Ling Rui’s words, she had heard about Ah Wu and about Ling Rui calling himself a little dumpling.
However, she had never taken these seriously since she had never seen Ah Wu or a little dumpling.
But now, a sketch of a little dumpling had indeed appeared…
Noble Consort Yi looked at the sketch for a long time before placing it by the bedside and then embraced Ling Rui as she drifted off to sleep.
Early the next morning…
When Ling Rui woke up, he saw a painting on the bedside.
His small hand touched the little figure in the painting, feeling that this depicted figure was also drawn very cutely.
“Little Seven, this little dumpling—”
“It’s me.”
With no outsiders around, Ling Rui nestled in Noble Consort Yi’s arms, pointed at the little figure in the painting, and said, “This is me.”
Noble Consort Yi: “…”
Noble Consort Yi held him in silence for a while before finally speaking, “If this is you, then can you transform into this form and show me?”
Ling Rui shook his head in frustration, “I can’t transform yet.”
He couldn’t be certain when he would change back either.
“Little Seven, tell me more about you and Ah Wu.”
Noble Consort Yi didn’t call for anyone to help with washing up. She held Ling Rui and listened as he recounted his days as a little dumpling.
The little dumpling had no parents and couldn’t even get enough to eat before meeting Ah Wu.
“It was so hard to catch food.”
Ling Rui wrinkled his small face, emphasizing the difficulty of finding food.
“Ah Wu could catch lots of food, enough to eat until full.”
Ling Rui patted his small belly, praising Ah Wu.
He talked a lot, and Noble Consort Yi listened quietly without interrupting.
Eventually, Ling Rui said he was tired and, half-asleep, wanted to sleep again.
Noble Consort Yi looked down at the little one burying his face in her chest and gently rubbed his hair.
“Little Seven, you mustn’t tell anyone else what you told me today, not even Ling Fu or your Royal Father. Do you understand?”
Ling Rui, half-asleep, nodded, “Understood.”
Noble Consort Yi held his small face and made him repeat it several times before letting him sleep.
For the next few days, Ling Rui stayed in the palace, playing with Ling Fu and Ling Ning, leading a peaceful life.
Despite being a poor student, Ling Fu continued teaching Ling Rui, which Ling Ning couldn’t tolerate after observing a few times. She complained to their eldest brother, Ling Chen.
When Ling Chen heard her complaint, he frowned and immediately told her to inform Ling Rui to attend a lecture.
The first lesson Ling Rui attended wasn’t in the study hall but at the royal hunting ground on the outskirts of the capital. This area was reserved for the princes and nobles to learn horseback riding and archery.
Before leaving, Ling Fu instructed Ling Rui, “Little Seven, you’re still too young. When we get there, just stay put and cheer for your brothers. Don’t run around.”
“Okay!”
Ling Rui obediently agreed, “I won’t run.”
At the hunting ground, people looked at the little child Ling Fu brought along and asked, “Is this the Seventh Prince?”
“Yes, this is my seventh brother.” Ling Fu introduced his brother to everyone.
People’s attitudes towards the Seventh Prince varied. Those close to the Murong family were enthusiastic, while those who disliked the Murong family were indifferent.
Among them, a tall and burly young man stared at Ling Rui, making him very uncomfortable.
“Sixth Brother.”
Ling Rui hid behind Ling Fu and carefully pointed at the man, complaining, “He’s glaring at me.”
Ling Fu: “…”
Ling Fu looked at the person Little Seven was pointing at and meekly said, “That’s Yong Wang’s son, Ling Xing. We should call him cousin. He’s a bit nasty, so we should stay away from him.”
Ling Fu said this while pulling Ling Rui’s hand to lead him away.
But Ling Xing continued to glare maliciously at Ling Rui. He remembered his Father mentioning that it was this Seventh Prince who interfered on the street and subsequently had people from Yong Wang’s residence taken away.
Seeing the Seventh Prince today, he felt he must give him a “proper” welcome.
The hunting ground was always lively.
Dressed in riding attire, Ling Fu brought a small stool for Ling Rui. “Little Seven, sit here and wait for me. I’ll come back to you soon.”
Everyone had to participate, including Ling Fu. But Ling Rui was too young to join in. He sat on the stool with his hands folded on his lap, looking very well-behaved.
Once Ling Fu left, there was no one around Ling Rui except for the supervising instructor patrolling the area.
The hunting ground, reserved for royal and noble children, did not allow maids or attendants inside. Usually, those who came had tutors or servants.
Ling Rui, being a prince, should have had a tutor, but since he was still young and hadn’t started school, Noble Consort Yi had not assigned him one yet.
Misconduct was strictly punished here, and Ling Fu didn’t think Ling Xing would dare bully Little Seven. Still, he chose a more secluded spot for Little Seven to sit, away from potential troublemakers.
From there, Ling Rui could see people in the distance and had some small animals for company.
After sitting for a while, Ling Rui felt bored. He wanted to talk to the supervising instructor, but the instructor was called away.
Watching the instructor’s distant figure, Ling Rui turned and picked up a small rabbit, setting it free and chasing after it for fun.
Ling Rui had played this game of chasing rabbits in Fenghua Palace before. While playing, he suddenly felt a chill of danger.
Instinctively, he looked in a certain direction.
The next moment, he started running.
Not far away, Ling Xing, on horseback, had drawn a bow, aiming to shoot at him.
Ling Rui saw the malice in Ling Xing’s eyes, eyes that truly intended to shoot him. With tears welling up, he ran while calling out, “Sixth Brother!”
His cry was loud, but Ling Fu, not in the vicinity, couldn’t hear him.
The sound of hooves chased after him.
Ling Rui, with his short little legs, stumbled and fell several times, scraping his small face on the ground, causing a slight abrasion. After trying to call out for help several times without success, he cried out, “Ah Wu!”
He’s being bullied by bad people!
After calling out for Ah Wu several times in a row, Ling Rui didn’t hold out much hope for Ah Wu’s arrival. As he ran toward a small hill, he fell hard once again.
But this time, as he fell, a familiar figure flashed before his eyes. That figure leaped over him and headed straight for Ling Xing behind him.
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