The Fourth Wangfei continued talking about the supposed divine blessing, although she didn’t seem to be superstitious herself. She condemned the other nations for launching wars over such baseless claims, calling it unjust and immoral.
“Fourth Sister-in-law, how did you learn about this rumor?” Ling Rui asked casually, as he had never heard of this so-called divine protection rumor.
“I stumbled upon it by chance,” she replied.
The Fourth Wangfei wasn’t just any ordinary noblewoman. She had the wisdom and resourcefulness to win over her husband, making her a formidable figure in her own right.
Ling Rui nodded, not asking further.
The Fourth Wangfei went on, “I have a feeling they won’t give up on invading Qi Dynasty. Little Seven, if all of them attack us at once, even with the support of the Great Qing dynasty, we might not be able to protect ourselves.”
As the Fourth Wangfei expressed her concerns, Ling Rui pressed his lips together and, after a few seconds, reassured her, “Fourth Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Qi Dynasty will be fine.”
With him, the “divine beast,” he would surely protect Qi Dynasty!
“Militarily, I can’t offer much advice. But Little Seven, I’ve heard you’re quite remarkable.”
“Perhaps the solution to Qi Dynasty’s crisis lies with you.”
The Fourth Wangfei had great expectations for Ling Rui.
Ling Rui patted his chest and promised, “I’ll make sure Qi Dynasty stays safe.”
Only with Qi Dynasty safe could Pingping and Anan grow up in peace.
They continued their conversation in the side room for quite some time before they were interrupted by Anan’s nanny.
Anan had woken up and was looking for her mother.
Ling Rui left with Fourth Wangfei and even held Anan for a bit.
The Fourth Wangfei didn’t rush to send him away and invited him to stay for a meal.
With Pingping and Anan around, the meal was lively.
Although Anan had already eaten her fill, she still stretched out her chubby little hands, trying to grab the adults’ bowls.
Pingping couldn’t sit still either, causing a ruckus even while eating.
The Fourth Wangfei was already used to the commotion the two children created and continued her casual conversation with Ling Rui, unfazed. “Once Anan is a little older, I’m planning to leave.”
“Huh? Are you going to join Fourth Brother?”
“Yes.”
The Fourth Wangfei had always accompanied the army, and though life in the capital was stable, she preferred being on the battlefield. Even though the battlefield was dangerous, she wanted to stand by her husband’s side.
“Fourth Sister-in-law, what about Pingping and Anan if you leave?” Ling Rui instinctively thought she would take the children with her, and he already felt reluctant at the thought of parting with the two little ones.
The Fourth Wangfei thought for a moment and replied, “It depends on their wishes, but I’d prefer to send them to the palace. There, they’ll receive the best education.”
As royal children, Pingping and Anan’s status meant they were destined to receive an education and take on responsibilities that ordinary children didn’t have.
Though the Fourth Wangfei loved them dearly, she wouldn’t let motherly affection hold them back from the education they needed, nor would she keep them by her side just because of her love for them.
And for her, staying in the capital to raise her children wasn’t an option either.
The Fourth Wangfei had her own desires and responsibilities.
She wouldn’t let motherly love keep her at the frontier where the children didn’t belong, nor could it tie her down to the capital where she didn’t want to be.
“If they stay in the palace, it’ll definitely be lively,” Ling Rui said, imagining the two little ones causing a ruckus in the palace. He figured no one there would ever be bored.
“Yes, there are plenty of people in the palace who will take good care of them.”
The two little ones didn’t understand that the adults were talking about their future. One was busy trying to grab bowls, and the other was running around the dining room.
The two soft little babies were giggling.
After dinner, Ling Rui didn’t stay the night. It was fine for him to be there during the day, but with his fourth brother not home, it didn’t seem appropriate to stay overnight.
“Little Seven, I don’t have many people to chat with in the capital. If you’re not busy, come by and visit me more often,” said the Fourth Wangfei.
“Alright!” Ling Rui agreed without hesitation, “I’ll definitely come again.”
When he left, Pingping and Anan weren’t around, so he left smoothly without being held back.
That night, he stayed in the palace. Dressed in his nightclothes, he laid on his older brother’s dragon bed, hugging a pillow.
Ling Chen, also in his nightclothes, walked over. “Here.”
He handed Ling Rui a cup of water, which he had personally brought for him.
Ling Rui gulped down the water, then handed the empty cup back to his brother. Ling Chen resignedly placed the cup aside and lightly scolded, “You’re all grown up, yet you still come to sleep with your brother. Aren’t you ashamed if people hear about this?”
Ling Rui flopped onto the bed with limbs spread out, “Nope! No one will know if I sleep with you, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
He glanced sideways at Ling Chen and said sharply, “You never minded me coming to sleep with you before. It’s only since you’ve been planning to marry Uncle that you’ve started minding.”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Ling Chen retorted. “If you keep it up, I’ll throw you out.”
“If you throw me out, I’ll tell Uncle!” Ling Rui wasn’t the least bit afraid of his brother’s threats.
The two brothers bickered for a while before finally calming down.
“Big Brother, I had a conversation with Fourth Sister-in-law today,” Ling Rui said, relaying their discussion to Ling Chen, as the Fourth Wangfei hadn’t asked him to keep it secret.
Ling Rui planned to share the conversation with Ah Wu as well.
“Big Brother, let me tell your fortune!” he offered.
“No, thanks,” Ling Chen avoided his brother’s hand as if it were electric. He’d developed a bit of a phobia after some of Ling Rui’s previous fortune-telling.
Seeing his attempt thwarted, Ling Rui blinked his round eyes, clearly not ready to give up.
Ling Chen, noticing the look, warned, “Don’t think about trying it after I fall asleep. I’ll stay awake and watch you sleep tonight.”
Ling Rui: “…”
His plan was foiled, and the disappointment was written all over his face.
He sighed, giving up, “Fine, then. Just get me another cup of water.”
After drinking several cups, he wanted more, but Ling Chen refused.
“Too much water at night will make you puffy tomorrow,” Ling Chen said, checking his brother’s forehead. “Why are you so thirsty? Are you feeling unwell?”
Seeing that his brother was about to call a physician, Ling Rui quickly shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I just ate something spicy earlier.”
Ling Chen felt that Ling Rui’s temperature was normal, and he seemed full of energy, so he hesitated but didn’t summon the physician.
The two brothers soon fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, Ling Rui woke up because he needed to relieve himself. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and slowly became more alert.
Once he was fully awake, he looked over at his sleeping brother and smiled silently.
He was too clever! No matter how early his brother got up, he wouldn’t wake up earlier than someone who was forced awake by nature.
The palace was quiet. Ling Rui gently reached out and touched his brother’s arm. Once he confirmed that Ling Chen was still asleep, he scooted closer.
The familiar vision appeared once again.
This time, Ling Rui didn’t just see his brother marrying the Empress; he also saw his brother, troubled over the royal family’s declining heirs.
The issue wasn’t that the royal family couldn’t have children, but that the children who were born seemed to die young, in various tragic ways.
His brother was deeply pained by the loss of these royal heirs, to the point where he couldn’t sleep at night.
In his vision, his brother suspected that someone was secretly harming the royal family’s descendants.
At the end of the vision, Ling Chen was hunched over his desk, coughing as he wrote. He was working on a long list, and as he reached the end, he coughed up blood and collapsed.
“Big Brother!” Ling Rui shouted in alarm.
His cry was answered by Ah Wu.
“Zai Zai, what’s wrong?”
Even though it was the middle of the night, Ah Wu immediately sensed Ling Rui’s distress and responded right away.
Hearing Ah Wu’s voice, Ling Rui calmed down a little.
“Ah Wu, something bad will happen to my brother in the future.”
Ling Rui recounted both the vision he’d just seen and the rumor he had heard earlier that day from his Fourth Sister-in-law.
“I know about the rumor your Fourth Sister-in-law mentioned,” Ah Wu had met with Big Boss and Lian Qing, and they not only knew about the rumor, but they knew much more.
Indeed, the calamities that would befall Qi Dynasty in the future were all rooted in that rumor.
Other nations believed that if they could seize Qi Dynasty’s land, they would receive its divine protection. However, they didn’t realize that the “divine blessing” was actually the little Wangye of Qi Dynasty, Ling Rui himself.
In their attempts to invade Qi Dynasty, they must have done something—something that ultimately caused Ling Rui’s premature death.
Ling Rui listened quietly to Ah Wu’s explanation.
After a while, Ling Rui suddenly said, “Ah Wu, they’re trying to take the divine blessing, and that’s why Qi Dynasty is facing so many misfortunes.”
“It’s because of me.”
If the other nations weren’t after the divine blessing, or if they realized that the blessing was a person and not the land of Qi Dynasty, wouldn’t Qi Dynasty’s fate be different?
Ling Rui’s words made Ah Wu frown.
“Zai Zai, it’s not your fault. It’s those people’s malicious intent. Even without the divine blessing story, as long as Qi Dynasty remains wealthier and more stable than their nations, they would still find another excuse to attack.”
Ah Wu’s explanation—Ling Rui wasn’t sure if he fully understood it. Regardless, their conversation didn’t last long before Ling Rui quietly severed the connection himself.
After cutting off contact, Ling Rui stared at the dark ceiling, lost in thought for a long time.
The next morning, his dark circles were obvious, and Ling Chen noticed right away.
“Little Seven, did you not sleep last night?”
“I did sleep,” replied Ling Rui slowly, still tired from his lack of rest.
Ling Chen leaned in to inspect his eyes. “I can see the dark circles under your eyes. What were you up to last night?”
“Nothing,” Ling Rui denied, retreating back into his blankets.
Unable to get a clear answer, Ling Chen let it go.
“I’m heading to court. You should rest a bit longer, and I’ll join you for breakfast when I return.”
Ling Chen pinched Ling Rui’s soft cheeks before getting dressed for court.
Ling Rui watched his brother leave, but instead of going back to sleep, he got up and dressed as well.
Last night, he had made a decision—one that he believed could save Qi Dynasty!
Drawing from his years of learning at Guan Shan Residence and his unique status, he decided to leave Qi Dynasty and stir up trouble in other nations!
He didn’t mind being the coveted little auspicious beast out in the world. After all, everyone only knew about the auspicious beast but had no idea about Ah Wu.
Ah Wu, after all, was terrifying!
With him as the small auspicious beast and Ah Wu as the fierce protector, he planned to subdue all the malicious countries that sought harm.
