Both adults looked down at him simultaneously, and their expressions didn’t seem to suggest agreement.
Emperor Ling frowned and asked, “Who told you about Guan Shan Residence Academy?”
Seeing his father’s disapproving expression, Ling Rui hesitated before answering, “I heard about it outside.”
He had heard of Guan Shan Residence Academy and then heard Ah Wu say he was going there to study.
So, he wanted to go too.
“Little Seven, isn’t studying in Luocheng good enough?”
Noble Consort Yi rubbed his head and said, “You have so many playmates here. Studying in Luocheng will make you happier. Guan Shan Residence Academy is far away. If you go, you won’t see your daddy, mother, or your siblings.”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui blinked: “Take everyone with me!”
They could all go!
Father and mother could rest, and he could study with his siblings.
“No.”
Noble Consort Yi shattered his beautiful idea: “Your father and I can’t go, and neither can you.”
“Your mother is right. You shouldn’t think about going there. You can’t go.”
“I want to.”
Ling Rui kicked his legs under the blanket, making the quilt slip off a bit.
Emperor Ling glanced at him, didn’t spank him, but instead pulled the quilt back up.
“Little Seven, be good.”
Emperor Ling adjusted the quilt and said, “If you like studying, stay nearby. Going too far is dangerous.”
Especially Guan Shan Residence Academy.
There was no way he would send Little Seven there.
Emperor Ling’s words were final. After he finished speaking, he covered the little one’s eyes, forcing him to sleep.
The little one wanted to throw a tantrum.
But Noble Consort Yi gently patted his back, coaxing him, “Little Seven, be good. Sleep now, and remember, you have plans to go out tomorrow.”
Under Noble Consort Yi’s soothing, the little one finally fell asleep.
The next morning, he still wanted to talk to Emperor Ling about going to school.
But Emperor Ling pretended to sleep on the bed.
After fussing around, unable to wake his pretending-to-sleep father, the little one puffed his cheeks in frustration and went to school.
At the academy, Shen Tang and the others were all on leave.
Without Shen Tang and the others, the little one and Sixth Brother studied smoothly.
During break time, the little one specifically sought out the teacher to ask about Guan Shan Residence Academy.
At first, the teacher didn’t know much about it, so he asked around and found out more detailed information.
He shared this information with the little one.
Guan Shan Residence Academy had a unique location and was an independent entity, not belonging to any of the three powerful nations but maintaining good relations with them.
Until this year, Guan Shan Residence Academy had never run a school or accepted students.
But this year, word spread that they were accepting students.
The students they accepted matched what the little one heard: princes and princesses from the three powerful nations and other small countries.
These students had to pass a series of tests.
From academics to physical fitness, both had to be excellent. If either was lacking, they couldn’t pass.
The little one listened carefully and then asked the teacher, “Am I good enough?”
The teacher: “…”
The teacher understood that he was asking if he was good enough to go to Guan Shan Residence Academy.
“Little Seven, you’re not old enough yet, and your academic and physical conditions… don’t quite meet the requirements.”
The teacher’s blunt honesty made the little one purse his lips and stay silent.
The two of them stared at each other for a while before the little one asked, “How old do I need to be?”
The teacher thought for a moment: “At least when you’re three.”
The little one, still needing to grow a bit, didn’t get discouraged. He nodded and said, “Okay.”
He had time to improve his academics and physical fitness.
He wanted to be a chubby but healthy little one.
After asking the teacher, the little one became much more serious in his studies.
Seeing him study so earnestly, Ling Fu also became more diligent.
In the evening, after school, the two little ones left together.
They brought Shui Shui with them and enough guards, including Emperor Ling’s secret guards.
Only the youngest prince, Ling Rui, received such protection.
“Shui Shui, aren’t you scared staying with Third Brother?”
In the carriage, Ling Rui asked Shui Shui, explaining, “I’m scared of the Empress.”
Shui Shui, holding the snack Ling Fu gave him, slowly ate it. He didn’t eat as quickly as before.
“Not scared.”
Shui Shui answered Ling Rui’s question while eating: “I’ve never seen her.”
He had heard the Empress’s voice but had never seen her.
Ling Yi had hidden him well.
To be precise, the palace attendants around Ling Yi had hidden him well.
Some of Ling Yi’s attendants were arranged by his eldest brother, Ling Chen, and those people were very efficient.
The little ones chatted on the way, and Ling Rui asked about his third brother’s health.
Shui Shui, biting into a snack, said, “He won’t die.”
It was a blunt statement, but Ling Rui was still glad to hear it.
He made a vow in his heart that once he turned three, he would go to Guan Shan Residence Academy to study!
Before going to school, he wanted to make sure his siblings were all well.
After a long ride in the carriage, they finally reached their destination. The previously hidden hill had long been thoroughly explored by Emperor Ling’s men.
Shui Shui was the first to jump off the carriage. He looked ahead and then turned to ask Ling Rui, “Did you bring it?”
“Yes!”
Ling Rui, carrying a basket, also got off the carriage.
Shui Shui had told him to bring a basket for collecting herbs, and Ji Yan had prepared one for him.
The little ones slung their baskets over their arms and started searching for herbs, with the guards following closely behind.
Shui Shui wasn’t searching for herbs aimlessly.
He seemed to be observing something, then determining a direction before continuing.
After a while, Shui Shui stopped at the edge of a cliff. He laid down, his small body leaning out dangerously.
The little ones following him turned pale with fear.
“Shui Shui, that’s dangerous!”
Although the little one was scared, he reached out and grabbed Shui Shui’s clothes tightly, preventing him from falling.
Falling from such a height would be fatal.
Even as a little spirit beast, falling from this height would be dangerous.
Shui Shui, with his clothes being pulled, leaned out even more.
Seeing this, the little one became very anxious.
Eventually, a guard forcibly pulled Shui Shui back. This guard, who was always with them, was very familiar with Ling Rui.
He took the little ones to a safer distance from the cliff and said, “If you need something from the cliff, let me get it.”
“An eight-leaved herb, with a red snake beside it.”
“The red snake bites people, and if it bites, they will die.”
Guard: “…”
Guard: “It’s okay, I’m not afraid of snakes.”
Shui Shui looked at him and shook his head, refusing to let him go down.
“Rope, tie it here.”
Shui Shui pointed to his own waist, instructing the guard to tie the rope around him and lower him down.
He had even brought a rope with him.
“The snake won’t bite me.”
Shui Shui said, spreading out his little hands: “I applied some medicine.”
He had applied medicine that would prevent the snake from biting him.
But the guard hadn’t applied any, and he would be bitten. The teeth of this kind of snake were very sharp and extremely aggressive.
According to the book’s records, once this snake bit someone, they couldn’t escape.
“No, it’s too dangerous.”
The guard didn’t dare agree to such a risky proposal. Although the child in front of him wasn’t a prince, he was very close to several princes. If something happened, he couldn’t bear the responsibility.
Shui Shui insisted on going down.
He began tying the rope around himself.
Seeing this, the guard looked at the little prince.
Ling Rui looked at Shui Shui and then at the guard. He was also struggling internally. After a few seconds, he asked Shui Shui, “Shui Shui, do you have to go down?”
“Yes.”
Ling Rui: “…”
Ling Rui: “Okay.”
He agreed to let Shui Shui go down.
Although they were children, not all decisions made by children were foolish.
He decided to trust Shui Shui.
Shui Shui, tied to the rope, was slowly lowered down the cliff.
After searching for a while, Shui Shui finally saw the eight-leaved herb. The flower was beautiful, but a crimson snake coiled around its stem.
The crimson snake was thin and long, with a fleshy crown on its head. Initially resting with its eyes closed, it suddenly opened its eyes when it heard movement.
Its eyes were also crimson, and its pupils were filled with a chilling coldness, looking very menacing.
Shui Shui met its gaze without any fear.
“I’m here to collect herbs.”
Regardless of whether the snake could understand, he continued, “I only need a little. I’ll leave the root.”
“With the root, it will grow back.”
After he spoke, the crimson snake hissed at him, sticking out its tongue.
Seeing the snake not cooperating, Shui Shui stopped talking to it.
He carefully climbed closer, completely ignoring the snake, and reached out to pick the flower.
He left the root.
This herb was extremely rare. If he took the root, the snake would lose its purpose and starve itself to death.
Moreover, the root was less potent than the stem and leaves.
The crimson snake didn’t dare bite Shui Shui. It moved away but maintained a threatening posture.
Shui Shui calmly moved it aside, picked the herb, and put it in his basket.
After storing the herb, Shui Shui fished out some food from his pocket and placed it in front of the crimson snake.
“Thank you.”
After placing the food, Shui Shui tugged on the rope, signaling the guard to pull him up.
“Shui Shui, are you okay? Did you see the snake?”
“Did the snake bite you?”
Ling Rui’s face came closer, anxiously asking Shui Shui.
He didn’t ask if Shui Shui had gotten the herb, only if he was hurt.
Shui Shui stood still and, after allowing him to check him over, finally said, “I’m not hurt, and I got the medicine.”
Hearing that Shui Shui was unhurt, Ling Rui first let out a sigh of relief. When he heard that Shui Shui had obtained the medicine, a smile instantly appeared on his face.
“That’s great!!!”
The little one, who had been searching for the medicine for who knows how long, was so excited that he spun around on the spot. He looked at the herb in the basket, his voice trembling with excitement, “Fourth Brother can ride horses again! He can draw his bow and arrows again!”
He was extremely excited.
Ling Fu was also very happy to see the herb.
By this time, it was completely dark. The little ones were in high spirits, and on the way back, the little one held Shui Shui’s hand, continually thanking him.
“My pocket money for next month, you can have it all!”
The little one was overjoyed, but Shui Shui wasn’t very interested in spending his pocket money.
“Third Brother has money.”
Shui Shui held his small hand and slowly said, “I don’t spend money.”
As long as he could eat well and read books, he was content.
They returned a bit late, but they brought back the herb the little one had been longing for. Even Emperor Ling personally inspected it.
“This herb, can it really heal Ling Hao’s arm?”
“It can.”
The little one nodded confidently and guaranteed, “Fourth Brother’s arm will be as good as new!”
Emperor Ling was skeptical about this.
The little one didn’t insist on him believing it. He cheerfully held the herb and arranged for it to be sent to the capital overnight.
When sending the herb, the little one didn’t hand it over directly.
Such a precious herb, he was afraid it might get lost.
If it were lost, finding another one would be nearly impossible.
The little one hesitated and finally decided to send it in two separate groups.
The first group carried a decoy herb with eight leaves that he had glued together. The second group carried the real herb.
He did this to prevent anyone from stealing such a precious herb.
Being so young, no one expected him to be this clever.
On the way, the first group was intercepted.
The herb they were escorting was stolen, and the news reached the palace. During the family banquet, the little one dropped his chopsticks.
Everyone knew the herb had been painstakingly found by the little one.
Shui Shui didn’t want people to know he had picked the herb.
So, Ling Rui only said he had found it.
“Little Seven.”
Although Emperor Ling didn’t fully believe that an herb could miraculously heal an arm, he knew it was obtained through Little Seven’s hard work. So, he looked at the stunned little one immediately, “Zhen will thoroughly investigate this matter.”
“If you want this herb, Zhen will have someone find it.”
In public, Emperor Ling always referred to himself as “Zhen.”
The little one didn’t mind how he addressed himself. He bent down and picked up his chopsticks.
“The chopsticks are dirty.”
“Get a new pair.”
Emperor Ling said, still keeping an eye on the little one.
He worried that the little one might be too upset.
The decision to send the herb in two groups was something the little one had come up with on the spot. He had only told Noble Consort Yi about it and no one else.
With the herb stolen, the little one honestly explained to Emperor Ling, “It’s okay. We sent two.”
Emperor Ling: “?”
Emperor Ling: “What do you mean two?”
The little one explained, “We sent two herbs. The second herb can heal the arm.”
Based on the time, the second herb should have already arrived at the palace.
After he finished speaking, Emperor Ling’s expression improved significantly. He praised, “Little Seven is very smart.”
Ling Rui didn’t think he was particularly smart; he felt it was just a lucky guess.
Emperor Ling looked approvingly at the little one, proud of the child he had raised.
He believed his children should indeed be cleverer.
With Emperor Ling pleased, others also praised the little one in alignment with his mood.
The Empress, sitting beside Emperor Ling, did not join in the praise. Her expression remained calm as she handed her prayer beads to the palace attendant behind her.
Emperor Ling happened to see her handing over the beads and asked, “What’s wrong with the beads?”
The Empress’s prayer beads were always with her.
“I’ve worn this string for too long, and the thread is loose.”
The Empress said calmly, “The thread just broke. I’ll have it fixed later.”
“Just have the attendants restring it. No need for the Empress to do it personally,” Emperor Ling suggested.
The Empress shook her head, her face still calm, “It wouldn’t be sincere if I don’t do it myself.”
Emperor Ling: “…”
Since Emperor Ling didn’t intend to worship Buddha, he didn’t continue discussing the prayer beads with her.
Noble Consort Yi, adding food to the little one’s plate, glanced at the Empress for a few seconds.
That night, Noble Consort Yi had Ji Yan assist the little one with his bath and called in Jiang Yan and Chen Zhou.
“From now on, keep a closer eye on Little Seven.”
Noble Consort Yi said each word carefully, “Remember, don’t let him out of your sight.”
The two little companions nodded. Jiang Yan patted his chest and said he’d even take Little Seven with him when he went to the bathroom.
Chen Zhou, with a simple and honest face, seriously said, “Don’t worry, Niang Niang. I will keep an eye on him.”
After dismissing the two little companions, Noble Consort Yi returned to the inner room and saw the little one had finished his bath.
He was wearing soft pajamas and was tossing around on the bed.
Seeing him so energetic, Noble Consort Yi’s eyelids twitched, “What are you doing? It’s late. Why aren’t you sleeping?”
The little one, trying to do somersaults, had a red face from exertion. He panted and said, “Exercising!”
Starting today, he decided to exercise regularly. He would run laps, practice the horse stance, and strengthen his body.
Noble Consort Yi was unaware that he still hadn’t given up on the idea of going to Guan Shan Residence, so she found his behavior quite puzzling.
“Alright, stop flipping around.”
She reached out and poked the little one’s soft chubby waist, which was very ticklish. As soon as she poked him, he giggled and moved away.
Noble Consort Yi poked him several more times before finally pulling him over and discussing serious matters with him: “Are you still going to the banquet tomorrow?”
The little one’s classmate, Shen Tang, was hosting a banquet, and it was scheduled for the next day.
“Yes, I’m going.”
Being held by Noble Consort Yi, the little one nodded seriously while still kicking his chubby legs.
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of Did The Young Prince’s Kingdom Get Destroyed Today? right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
Obrigada pela tradução!