Did The Young Prince’s Kingdom Get Destroyed Today? Chapter 51

Chapter 51

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“Little Seven, if you get tired, just tell Sixth Brother, and Sixth Brother will carry you.”

Since Ling Rui’s return, besides Noble Consort Yi, the one who treated him the best was Ling Fu, the chubby little boy.

During Ling Rui’s disappearance, Ling Fu’s appetite had halved, though his weight hadn’t successfully halved.

“Sixth Brother, you can’t carry me.”

Ling Rui shook his brother’s chubby hand, urging him to be realistic.

His sixth brother wasn’t very tall and couldn’t carry him.

“I can give you a piggyback ride.”

Ling Fu insisted, “Anyway, if you get tired, I won’t let you walk.”

Hearing this, Ling Rui softly said that Sixth Brother was really nice.

Their conversation was quiet, but the steward heard everything clearly.

The steward smiled and commented, “The bond between the two Highnesses is very strong.”

Ling Rui nodded, acknowledging the statement.

He felt that all his siblings were very good. Sixth Brother was only a bit older than him but was very caring and protective.

In Ling Rui’s eyes, he simply thought his siblings were naturally good.

But he had no idea that the reason why the princes and princesses were so good to him was actually due to his own qualities.

After walking for a while, Ling Rui and Ling Fu saw the master and mistress of the Li family, along with the young masters and misses.

Madam Li had invited the two young princes to play, using the pretext that they were at an age where they needed companions, fearing they might not have suitable playmates in the palace, so she extended the invitation.

The Li family had several young masters of similar age to the princes.

“Your humble servant greets the Sixth Prince and the Seventh Prince.”

Madam Li, along with the Li family members, saluted the two princes.

The Sixth Prince, with a serious expression, earnestly told them to rise.

Ling Rui had also taken etiquette lessons, but being younger, he hadn’t learned as well as his sixth brother.

After the formalities, Madam Li introduced her family’s young masters to the two princes.

The Li family’s young masters had likely been instructed beforehand and did not offend or upset the princes in the slightest.

After guiding them to a play area, Madam Li had the adults withdraw.

“Sixth Prince, Seventh Prince, how is my cousin’s arm?”

The question came from Li Tong, the youngest son of the second master of the Li family, who was only four years old. His cousin was also Ling Rui’s brother, the Fourth Prince Ling Hao.

“Fourth Brother’s arm is better after applying medicine, but it still lacks a certain herb.”

Ling Rui honestly described Ling Hao’s condition, “I’m looking for the herb, but I haven’t found it yet.”

The herb needed to heal his fourth brother’s arm was very hard to find here.

He had even asked Ah Wu to help search.

Ah Wu had found a few herbs with some substitutive effects but not the truly miraculous herb that could fully heal the arm.

Hearing about such a miraculous herb, Li Tong was a bit skeptical, “Does this herb really exist?”

“It does.”

Ling Rui nodded confidently, “Once we find it, Fourth Brother will be able to ride and shoot like before!”

Seeing the serious expression on Ling Rui’s face, Li Tong couldn’t help but believe him.

“The environment in Luocheng is good, and many herbs grow here. I’ll help you find it.”

Despite his young age, Li Tong was considerate and mature.

He understood that his family valued his cousin highly.

Since the news of his cousin’s arm injury arrived, the atmosphere in the Li household had been somber for a long time.

Children are the most observant, and Li Tong, not being the legitimate son, but the son of a favored concubine, was particularly cautious.

Although the Li family did not mistreat illegitimate children, Li Tong’s personality was still somewhat cautious and meticulous.

Hearing Ling Rui talk about this herb, Li Tong’s mind became active.

If he could find this herb and help cure his cousin’s arm, everyone in the household would be in a good mood. And if everyone was in a good mood, he would naturally have a better life too.

“Count me in. I’ll help you find it,” Li Tong said.

The other young masters of the Li family also expressed their willingness to help. They memorized the appearance of the herb Ling Rui described, patting their chests and promising to join the search.

After spending a day together, Ling Rui felt quite good about the young masters and the ladies of the Li family.

On the way back, Ling Rui sat next to Ling Fu in the carriage. He thought about the Li family and then about Consort De, a puzzled expression appearing on his face.

Ling Fu was eating snacks given by Madam Li, feeding some to his little brother Little Seven as well.

Seeing Ling Rui eating slowly, Ling Fu’s chubby face showed some confusion: “Little Seven, what are you thinking about?”

Why are you so lost in thought that you don’t even want to eat snacks?

Ling Fu was very satisfied with the snacks Madam Li had sent.

“Sixth Brother.”

Ling Rui turned his small face towards his brother: “The people of the Li family have very good tempers.”

Ling Fu, munching on a snack, responded with a vague “Mm.”

Ling Rui continued: “They have good tempers, but Consort De doesn’t.”

They were all one family, so they should have similar temperaments.

Yet everyone in the Li family was emotionally stable, even the children had good tempers, except for Consort De, whose temper was quite scary.

Hearing this, Ling Fu paused his snack-eating.

The brothers looked at each other, and finally, the Sixth Prince, who usually only thought about food, said blankly, “I don’t know why this is either. Maybe Consort De is the one with the worst temper in their family.”

Ling Rui: “…”

Ling Rui shook his head.

He had heard from the third young master of the Li family that Consort De had a good temperament when she was at home.

“Little Seven, don’t think too much.”

Ling Fu picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and brought it to Ling Rui’s mouth: “Come on, eat more. You’re too skinny.”

Ling Rui looked down at his chubby arms and legs, hesitating: “Sixth Brother, I’m not skinny.”

He was too young and still had a lot of baby fat.

Noble Consort Yi had said that as he grew, the baby fat would disappear on its own.

But for now, it was still there.

Ling Fu rolled up his sleeve and compared it to his own arm: “Look at mine, now do you think you’re too skinny?”

Compared to Sixth Brother’s arm, Ling Rui’s baby fat was indeed not much.

Ling Fu focused on feeding him snacks, not paying much attention to the matters of Consort De and the Li family.

His own mother also had a family, not far from Luocheng.

“Little Seven, next time I’ll take you to our maternal grandfather’s house to play.”

Ling Fu, thinking they would stay in Luocheng for a long time, planned to take Little Seven out to have some fun and pass the time.

His mother was still in the palace and hadn’t come out this time.

So, he could go visit on behalf of his mother!

With Ling Fu shifting the topic, it didn’t take long for Ling Rui to be distracted.

The two little boys quickly changed the subject from going out to play to what to have for dinner.

They chatted and ate all the way, and when they got off the carriage, Ling Rui was so full from the snacks that he let out a burp, his little belly stuffed.

Ling Fu touched his little belly, feeling a bit guilty.

Ling Rui was used to having his belly touched and stood there obediently, letting Sixth Brother touch it: “Sixth Brother, my belly is full.”

Ling Fu rubbed his little belly, trying to flatten it a bit: “Oh no, you haven’t had dinner yet. If Noble Consort Yi finds out you filled up on snacks, she might not be happy.”

“It’s okay.”

Ling Rui wasn’t worried at all. He knew Sixth Brother fed him snacks out of love, so he took responsibility: “I wanted to eat them myself. Mother won’t blame you.”

Ling Fu still looked a bit troubled.

Ling Rui patted his shoulder with his little hand, comforting him: “Sixth Brother, go rest. I’m going back too. Oh, don’t forget to deliver the snacks we saved for Third Brother.”

“I know, I will.”

Among the snacks from the Li family was a type made with chrysanthemums, which had a calming effect. Ling Rui, knowing the benefits of chrysanthemums for sleep, had told Ling Fu to save that particular snack for Third Brother.

After finishing their chat, the two little boys waved and went their separate ways.

When Ling Rui returned, Noble Consort Yi noticed his full little belly.

As expected, he got scolded: “Eating too many snacks can cause indigestion. Last time you felt so uncomfortable we had to get medicine from the imperial doctor. Did you forget?”

Sitting on her lap, having his belly rubbed, Ling Rui looked up and explained to Noble Consort Yi: “I’m a bit older now. My belly won’t hurt.”

Noble Consort Yi frowned and looked down at him: “How old are you? You’re still so small, it’s far from being grown up.”

If it weren’t for Ling Rui just coming back and Noble Consort Yi still cherishing him, he would have gotten a spanking for a lesson.

After rubbing his belly for a while, Noble Consort Yi, still worried, had someone prepare a digestive soup and some appetizers to help his digestion, feeding him a little.

After that, she continued rubbing his belly.

Before they knew it, the sky had turned completely dark.

The Emperor, who had been visiting frequently, didn’t come today.

Noble Consort Yi didn’t mind his absence.

After washing up with her little boy, Noble Consort Yi took Ling Rui to bed.

A few days ago, with Emperor Ling around, many things were inconvenient to ask. Now that he wasn’t here, Noble Consort Yi could finally ask what she wanted to know.

For instance, the condition of her eldest sister, Murong Xue.

“How is your Aunt’s health?”

Noble Consort Yi was most worried about her sister’s health. She really wanted her sister to step down and live a peaceful life. But without her sister, the people in the border city might not live peacefully.

She was conflicted and torn.

This time, her sister’s injury made her consider calling her back.

But the instability at the border made this impossible.

“Auntie got injured again.”

Ling Rui, dressed in a soft white inner robe with a red bellyband embroidered with a fat-headed fish underneath, was meant to keep his belly warm at night. He leaned against Noble Consort Yi, describing his aunt’s condition.

“Auntie is amazing.”

After talking about Murong Xue’s injury, Ling Rui added, “She got injured but came back safely.”

In the scenes he foresaw, it was so dangerous, yet Auntie didn’t need him and Ah Wu to rescue her.

In such a perilous situation, Auntie managed to escape and return to the General’s Mansion.

Ling Rui sincerely thought Auntie was incredible.

He praised Auntie so much that Noble Consort Yi had to interrupt him: “Tell me more about the border city. Is your uncle adapting well there?”

“Yes.”

Ling Rui hadn’t stayed long at the border city, but he tried hard to describe everything he saw to Noble Consort Yi.

However, when it came to the grasslands, he hesitated.

Auntie had told him not to talk about it.

Noticing his pause, Noble Consort Yi looked down at him: “Why did you stop?”

Ling Rui blinked and continued talking, holding her hand.

He also showed her the small token.

Seeing the token, Noble Consort Yi’s expression tightened. She put the token back in the pouch and sternly warned Ling Rui: “Little Seven, you must never show this token to anyone, not even your father, understand?”

Ling Rui: “…”

Ling Rui nodded obediently.

Noble Consort Yi reacted just like Murong Xue, repeatedly instructing Ling Rui not to say a word about the grasslands.

Her severe reaction frightened Ling Rui a bit.

After hearing him promise to remember, Noble Consort Yi pulled him into her arms to comfort him: “Don’t be afraid. As long as you listen to Mother, nothing will happen.”

She didn’t want her child involved in any grassland affairs. Her only wish was for him to grow up safely and smoothly.

Halfway through the night, Noble Consort Yi led her little one to talk about lighter topics, like Ah Wu.

“Next time, tell Ah Wu to be more careful. If I hadn’t covered for you, your father would have noticed.”

“Ah Wu is different from ordinary people. If your father sees him… he’ll be suspicious.”

“Ah Wu won’t be seen. He runs very fast.”

Ah Wu’s full-speed run was just a blur to the naked eye.

Though Ling Rui spoke confidently, Noble Consort Yi still pinched his cheek, reminding him to be cautious.

The two of them talked for a while, and Noble Consort Yi gently patted her little boy’s back until he fell asleep.

That night passed peacefully.

The next day, Ling Rui and Ling Fu went out again. Besides their study companions in the palace, they had no other companions.

The young masters of the Li family had many games to play, and the two boys were drawn to them, visiting the Li family for several days in a row.

Their daily outings did not escape Emperor Ling’s notice.

He frowned: “In the palace, Little Six attends classes every day. Here, he seems to be only playing.”

Noble Consort Yi was beside him when he said this.

“There are no classes here. Without supervision, it’s normal for Little Six to lose interest in studying.”

Although the eldest prince was self-disciplined at Little Six’s age, not all the princes were like him.

Emperor Ling’s frown deepened. While he was here to relax, the princes and princesses should not be idle and unproductive.

“I’ll find a tutor in Luocheng and have them continue their studies.”

“Okay.”

Noble Consort Yi quickly agreed. She didn’t want her child to run wild every day either.

The little one used to love studying, but now he runs outside with Little Six. When he comes back, he doesn’t talk about learning characters or math anymore, only tells her about the frogs outside going “ribbit ribbit ribbit.”

If this continued, her well-behaved child might become more unruly.

Emperor Ling arranged for someone to find a tutor or a reputable school in Luocheng for the princes and princesses.

Ling Rui and Ling Fu, still playing outside, were unaware of this.

The Li family had a manor.

The group of children, all around the same age, frequently visited the manor.

Nearby, there were other villages with children. Initially, the village children were afraid to approach them.

But after Ling Rui made friendly overtures, they mingled with the village children.

The young masters and princes brought food for the village children, who, in turn, reciprocated.

After eating the snacks brought by the young masters, the village children took them to find food in the fields, by the river, and in the trees.

“Little Seven.”

That day, the village children took them to a place they had never been before.

“See all these fruits? They’re ripe.”

The leader of the village children, dressed in patched clothes and with a twig in his mouth, pointed at the fruits not far away, raising his chin and asking the boy beside him, “These fruits are delicious when they’re ripe, Little Seven, do you want some?”

Ling Rui’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the red fruits, “Yes, I want to try!”

The leader squatted down and looked at him, “Let me pinch your cheek, and I’ll go pick some fruits for you.”

Having become familiar with the leader over the past few days, Ling Rui didn’t refuse such a request.

He offered his cheek, saying softly, “You can pinch it several times.”

The leader didn’t hold back and pinched his cheek a few times, finding it just as soft as he had imagined.

After pinching his cheek, the leader stood up and pointed towards the orchard, “Let’s go, everyone follow me to pick fruits!”

The orchard belonged to a local landlord with a bad reputation, known for causing trouble for the villagers.

The leader often came to steal his fruits.

“Little Seven, you and Little Six stand guard here while we pick the fruits.”

“Okay!”

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