After the palace attendant finished speaking, the little face in front of him was blank.
Having followed them around for half a day, was the person everyone was looking for him?
The little one’s face was stunned, while the palace attendant’s tears flowed: “I’m looking for the little prince. Who are you?”
The little one: “…”
The little one looked up with a puzzled expression: “I’m the little prince.”
The palace attendant: “?”
The palace attendant cried even harder: “At a time like this, stop talking nonsense.”
“I really am the little prince.”
The little one pouted, feeling a bit wronged: “Why can’t you recognize me?”
As they talked, another palace attendant nearby who had just heard their conversation rubbed his eyes, carefully examining the child claiming to be the little prince.
He saw the bracelet on the child’s wrist and the jade showing from his collar.
Seeing these, his eyes widened instantly.
“The little prince, the little prince is here!!!”
He shouted out loudly, and his voice spread far and wide.
After he finished shouting, someone else continued to shout ahead: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the little prince has been found!”
The voices of these people were filled with immense joy, and the little one was picked up by a palace attendant, who quickly ran ahead.
After standing at the front, someone exclaimed in surprise, “Is this… the little prince? I just saw him running behind me.”
This child, who had been running back and forth under their noses, following them around, turned out to be the little prince!
The little prince was brought before Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi, but both Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi just stood there, too stunned to step forward.
The Emperor even darkened his face: “I asked you to find the Seventh Prince, and you brought me this? Is this a bear turned into a human?!”
The Emperor became angry with just one look, and Noble Consort Yi didn’t get angry. She blinked her eyes, and her gaze stayed on the black-and-white cub, without moving away.
The Emperor continued to be angry.
The black-and-white cub in front of him listened to his angry words, and his small face became unhappy.
“Daddy!”
The black-and-white cub took a few steps forward and hugged the Emperor’s leg, looking up with a loud voice, “Don’t you recognize little one!”
Such a cute little cub, and Daddy didn’t recognize him!
The black-and-white cub was very unhappy, and when the Emperor heard his familiar voice, he was also shocked.
He lowered his head again and looked at the cub clinging to his leg.
This time, he finally recognized him.
But after recognizing him, his expression was even more unhappy than the little one’s.
“You, you… when did you come out?”
“I’ve been outside the whole time.”
The little one honestly explained, “I followed everyone to find someone.”
After searching for a long time, he found that the person being searched for was him.
Emperor Ling clenched his fists tightly to restrain himself from dealing with family matters publicly, lest outsiders see trivialities within the imperial family. He took a deep breath, bent down, and embraced the little one in his arms, then turned and left.
As he walked away, Noble Consort Yi naturally followed suit.
“Everyone can disperse now,” Noble Consort Yi instructed, and the crowd quickly dispersed. In no time, they had all returned to their respective duties.
Back in the palace, Noble Consort Yi followed behind Emperor Ling and the little one. Emperor Ling remained silent, while the little one hugged Emperor Ling’s neck, still talking: “Daddy, why won’t you look at me?”
“Little one, wash your face and you’ll look good.”
“Daddy, why won’t you talk?”
The little one talked all the way, but soon fell silent too. Without any response, he couldn’t continue.
The little one puffed up his cheeks and sat in Emperor Ling’s arms, crying all the way back to the palace.
Noble Consort Yi also followed along.
“Mother.”
Seeing Noble Consort Yi return, the little one, who had just puffed up his face and then smiled, just opened his small hand to let Noble Consort Yi hold him.
But Noble Consort Yi didn’t hold him.
Since Noble Consort Yi didn’t hold him, Emperor Ling also didn’t put him down.
Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi’s expressions were somewhat unified at this moment, uniformly serious.
The little one looked at them and keenly sensed that something was wrong. He didn’t puff up his face towards Emperor Ling anymore, but smiled again.
“Daddy, mommy, I love you.”
“Can we eat now? My tummy’s really hungry.”
“Daddy, I want to do my homework!”
Changing the subject, the little one received no response from the two adults.
After a while, the little one was pressed against Emperor Ling’s leg and slapped firmly on his chubby little bottom.
Emperor Ling slapped him several times in a row.
After being slapped once, the little one cried out loud.
But even as he cried loudly, Emperor Ling didn’t stop slapping.
Noble Consort Yi listened to the little one cry, without any intention of stopping Emperor Ling.
Just now, unable to find the one, she and Emperor Ling were truly terrified. She was fine, but she was scared stiff by the little one.
After Emperor Ling finished spanking, the little one was about to cry.
“Why are you hitting this little one?”
“So many people were looking for you just now. Where did you go?”
“Soaking, soaking in the hot spring.”
The little one cried intermittently, showing no feelings about this.
Emperor Ling didn’t believe that he had been in the hot spring pool and said immediately: “I have looked for you in the hot spring pool several times, and I have not found you.”
“I was there, I was sleeping in the pool.”
“You’re still speaking!”
Emperor Ling wanted to beat the little one again.
Noble Consort Yi saw the little one crying so hard that he was hiccupping, so she took him into her arms, maintaining a stern expression as she seriously explained how worried the adults had been earlier.
After Noble Consort Yi finished speaking, the little one realized that he had been somewhat in the wrong.
It was because he had drifted around while napping in the pool, making it hard for everyone to find him, which caused the worry.
However, thinking about the spankings he received, the little one turned his back to his father, not wanting to play with him anymore.
Both father and son were sulking, and Noble Consort Yi held the little one on her lap, reaching out to wipe his face.
As she wiped, Noble Consort Yi’s brows furrowed.
“I meant to ask earlier—what happened to your face and body?”
How did he get so dirty?
Ling Rui had just been spanked, and his bottom was sore, making it difficult for his little brain to think clearly.
So, between sobs, he confessed about the fight he had been involved in.
After his confession, as if remembering something, he froze for a second, stopping his crying for a moment: “Tomorrow, the teacher might call my parents.”
Emperor Ling: “…”
Noble Consort Yi: “…”
Emperor Ling ground his teeth, turning his gaze back to the little one.
His gaze was intense, and the little one, sensing his father’s stare, turned to look at him.
They locked eyes—father and son, big and small. The little one pouted, climbed down from Noble Consort Yi’s lap, bent over, and laid across her lap. With his small bottom sticking out, he yelled at Emperor Ling as if giving up: “You want to spank me again, don’t you? Go ahead! Just beat me to death then!”
This outburst from the little one made Emperor Ling, who initially intended to spank him a couple more times, sit back in his place without moving.
Noble Consort Yi picked up the little one, who was practically asking for another spanking, deciding not to hit him again.
One lesson was enough—too much, and the little one might really get hurt.
“Enough.”
Noble Consort Yi saw that father and son were at odds and decided that it was best if they stopped glaring at each other: “Your Majesty, you should go back to the palace; it’s late, and you need to rest.”
“I’m not going back.”
Emperor Ling was also in a bad mood and said firmly, “I’m staying here tonight.”
The little one, hearing that his father was going to stay, immediately wiped his tears and looked at Noble Consort Yi.
He really didn’t want to see his father tonight.
Noble Consort Yi couldn’t chase Emperor Ling away, so she reluctantly let the two stay together.
Neither Ling Rui nor Emperor Ling had eaten yet, so Noble Consort Yi ordered the small kitchen to serve dinner.
During the meal, Ling Rui buried his head in his food, completely ignoring Emperor Ling.
When it was time for bed, he wore his soft little pajamas and didn’t sprawl out like usual.
He laid properly with his little hands and feet together, refusing to be near his father.
Noble Consort Yi looked at the two of them and remained silent.
The next morning.
When Ling Rui got up early, he washed his face twice, but the ink stains on his face still wouldn’t come off.
Noble Consort Yi didn’t dare to scrub his face too hard, so she let it be: “It’ll probably fade in a few days. For now, you’ll just have to deal with your face looking like this.”
The ink on the little guy’s face was smudged around his eyes, making him look exactly like an adorable panda cub.
At first, Noble Consort Yi found it a bit unusual, but after looking at it a few more times, she found it rather cute.
She leaned in, kissed the little panda cub’s face, and then sent him off to school: “If the teacher really needs to see a parent, I’ll go.”
Ling Rui nodded and hesitated before asking, “When I come back, will I be spanked again?”
Noble Consort Yi: “…”
Noble Consort Yi: “No more spankings.”
One spanking was enough for now.
Hearing that there would be no more spankings, the little one finally breathed a sigh of relief. He stood on tiptoe and kissed Noble Consort Yi’s face.
They exchanged kisses, causing Emperor Ling to frown as he watched.
After kissing Noble Consort Yi, Ling Rui glanced at his father, then quickly looked away and left for school with his bag.
Despite Jiang Yan’s efforts to clean up, the desks and chairs in the classroom were still dirty from the previous night’s chaos.
When the teacher saw the condition of the classroom and the several black-and-white-faced children the next day, he was furious.
All the desks and chairs had to be replaced, and the parents naturally had to pay for the damage.
The teacher called in the parents, but he spoke to each one individually.
Noble Consort Yi did not act high and mighty; she straightforwardly paid for the desks and chairs and promised to discipline her child better.
After this round of parent-teacher meetings, Ling Rui’s relationships with the other children grew more strained.
Shen Tang looked at him with a scowl and asked, “Are you still coming to my family’s banquet?”
Ling Rui, clutching his book, nodded firmly.
He said he would go, and he won’t break his promise.
After Shen Tang questioned him, he returned to his seat. The two children continued to glare at each other.
They clashed in the classroom, and outside, they received the same treatment.
Kids from other classes also stared at their faces.
Ling Rui was used to being looked at because he was usually admired for his cuteness. But now, the little guy knew they were laughing at him.
The first day, he managed to bear the stares.
The second day, he didn’t want to go out for lunch anymore.
By the third day, he refused to get out of bed, saying he didn’t want to go to school.
“Everyone’s staring at me.”
The little guy burrowed under the covers, refusing to come out: “I’ll go back to school in a few days.”
Even at his young age, he cared about his image.
Noble Consort Yi patted his blanket and tried to coax him out: “Come out, and I’ll have Ji Yan bring some water to see if we can wash it off today.”
“It won’t come off.”
The little guy mumbled from under the covers: “I’ll be an ugly duckling forever.”
“You’re not ugly.”
Noble Consort Yi assured him: “Our little Seven has always been adorable.”
Even though Noble Consort Yi said he was cute, the little one didn’t believe it.
After much coaxing, Noble Consort Yi finally got him out of bed.
She ruffled his hair and suggested: “I’ll let you take a day off today.”
Hearing that he didn’t have to go to school, the little guy’s gloomy black-and-white face finally brightened a little.
Although he didn’t have to go to school, he didn’t want to stay in the palace either.
He was still mad at Emperor Ling, and they weren’t speaking to each other.
“Mommy, I need a veil to cover my face.”
After getting a veil, he covered his face and went out with Jiang Yan and Chen Zhou.
No sooner had they left than Emperor Ling arrived.
Emperor Ling didn’t mention the little one; he just discussed other matters with Noble Consort Yi, particularly about Rich Qian in prison.
“I was waiting to see who would come to bail him out… whoever does is likely connected to him and can be dealt with accordingly.”
“Someone tried to bail him out recently, but now there’s no one.”
Emperor Ling frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the situation.
Qian Jin embezzled disaster relief grain—a level of audacity that few possess.
As for those who stood behind Qian Jin as his backers, Emperor Ling had no intention of letting any of them go.
Sitting on the throne, Emperor Ling had no grand ambitions for expanding territories; he simply wanted to safeguard the dynasty, ensuring that it continued to stand strong.
Although Noble Consort Yi had many thoughts about these political affairs, she kept her silence and didn’t utter a word.
She just quietly listened to Emperor Ling speak.
Her gaze remained calm, but inside, she was contemplating—
If there were no more measures to improve the people’s livelihood or new policies in Qi Dynasty, Emperor Ling’s hopes of peacefully maintaining the dynasty might be shattered.
The Murong family could battle enemies on the outside, but defeating external foes wouldn’t necessarily secure Qi Dynasty’s future.
If Qi Dynasty began to rot from within, even the Murong family would be powerless to save it.
The two of them talked for quite some time, mostly with Emperor Ling speaking and Noble Consort Yi listening.
While they discussed matters of state, the little one, veiled and accompanied by two study companions, had already made his way to the streets.
Jiang Yan walked beside him, holding his small hand. “Little Seven, since we’re free today, aren’t you going to check on Zhu Zi and the others?”
When Ling Rui was in school, Jiang Yan would take some time every couple of days to teach Zhu Zi and the others basic martial arts skills, and besides that, Chen Zhou would teach them to read and write.
For the children in the village, having the opportunity to study was like a gift from heaven.
Although they were young, they were not foolish.
Therefore, they cherished this learning opportunity greatly.
Jiang Yan taught them for the sense of accomplishment, while Chen Zhou clearly expressed his hope that they would achieve success.
Chen Zhou also seriously told them, “If you achieve success in the future, remember to repay Little Seven.”
Chen Zhou wasn’t doing charity; he expected a return for his efforts.
Zhu Zi and the others agreed readily, saying that if they could leave the village and make something of themselves, they would not forget Little Seven.
“I won’t go today.”
As the little guy spoke, he touched his veil. He didn’t want anyone else to see his face.
Walking through the streets, they soon grew tired.
“Jiang Jiang, Zhou Zhou, let me treat you to some tea.”
The little guy spotted a teahouse. Though it was in a slightly remote location, there was a storyteller inside.
He wanted to listen to the storytelling, so he invited them in.
At the teahouse, the little guy chose a good seat and ordered tea from the waiter in his soft voice.
Listening to the storyteller required a minimum order.
He ordered a pot of tea and two plates of snacks, then sat in his chair, swinging his short legs, and listened to the story with contentment.
The storyteller was already halfway through his tale when they arrived.
The latter half was about the Great Qing.
The storyteller spoke of the Great Qing crown prince’s struggles and fierce competition.
Although the Great Qing crown prince had been established, he was still young and motherless, making his position precarious.
After taking a sip of tea, the storyteller moved on to another topic.
Great Qing, Great Wei, and Great Qi were three powerful nations whose relationships had recently warmed. They even established a school for mutual exchange, sending their princes and princesses to study there.
Great Qing had sent its crown prince.
Ling Rui’s ears perked up as he listened.
Ah Wu had never revealed his identity to him, so he still didn’t know that Ah Wu was the crown prince of Great Qing.
Hearing this news, Ling Rui’s heart pounded with an inexplicable and uneasy feeling.
“Zhou Zhou, come here.”
Ling Rui called to Chen Zhou, who was closest to him.
He leaned over to Chen Zhou and began to predict the future, calling out to Ah Wu as he did.
But this time, unlike before, Ah Wu didn’t respond promptly.
