The little one continued hiding along the way, but his clumsy efforts to conceal himself only made the servants quicken their pace, stifling their laughter.
They were scared they would laugh out loud.
With his head tucked away and ears perked up to listen, he waited until the footsteps faded before turning around. Seeing that the coast was clear, he patted his chest and sighed, “That scared Zai Zai.”
Luckily, he hadn’t been discovered—though his whereabouts had been reported along the way.
In the palace, Noble Consort Yi couldn’t help but smile as she listened to the reports of her son’s antics. “That little rascal causes trouble the moment he returns.”
Ji Yan, her attendant, smiled along with her and said, “Your Highness, the little prince is almost here. You should get ready. We can’t let him know you’ve been expecting him.”
“Yes, I know,” replied Noble Consort Yi, preparing to play along with her son’s little game. Years ago, she would have found such childish antics unimaginable, yet here she was, eager to indulge him.
The little one’s small legs moved faster as he neared Fenghua Palace. Along the way, he even picked some flowers.
When he reached the palace entrance, he peeked out cautiously, hoping to sneak in unnoticed.
“Strange, there’s no one around,” he whispered, puzzled but still careful as he tiptoed inside.
Once in his room, which he rarely used since he preferred to sleep in either Noble Consort Yi’s or Emperor Ling’s chambers, he unpacked his small bundle.
Though he hadn’t been home for a long time, his room was spotless, and it smelled nice, a fragrance he loved—the scent of home.
After putting his things away, he took out the gifts he had prepared for Noble Consort Yi and started laying them out, one by one, from the entrance of her main chamber, leading up to a large box at the end. As he arranged the gifts, he kept a lookout to make sure no one saw him.
Just when he started to feel suspicious, he overheard a servant mention a grand banquet in the palace that was keeping everyone, including Noble Consort Yi, busy. Relieved, he continued setting up his surprise.
After arranging all the gifts, the little one wrote a small note on the first one, then climbed into the big box at the end, hiding inside with an excited grin as he waited for Noble Consort Yi.
Outside, Noble Consort Yi, already aware of his antics, picked up the note he had left. It instructed her to collect all the gifts.
With a smile, she began gathering them. The first gift was a delicate face cream she’d never seen before. The second was a white dress that resembled a nightgown, soft and stylish. The third, a headpiece. The fourth, a bag of dried pork. The fifth, a letter saying how much the little one adored her.
On and on, she collected each one, her smile never fading.
Though she had received many gifts in her life, including rare treasures, none compared to these. Without hesitation, she cherished these simple offerings more.
“The little prince put so much thought into this,” remarked Ji Yan, also moved by the gesture. It was clear that Noble Consort Yi’s love for the little one had not been in vain.
After collecting the last gift, Noble Consort Yi approached the large box and feigned surprise. “Oh, what’s this? There’s one more gift, and it’s such a big box! There must be something really special inside.”
The little one, hiding in the box, covered his mouth with his hands, barely able to contain his excitement, worried he might make a sound.
As he eagerly waited, Noble Consort Yi opened the box, and their eyes met.
Feigning shock, Noble Consort Yi exclaimed, “Little Seven! When did you get here?”
Although the little prince was usually quick-witted, he didn’t catch on that his mother was playing along. Beaming, he stood up in the box, holding out the flowers he had picked.
“Mother! Surprise!”
Noble Consort Yi accepted the flowers, bringing them to her nose with a smile. “These are beautiful.”
After admiring the flowers, she handed them to Ji Yan and bent down to lift the little one out of the box. More than the gifts or the flowers, what she wanted most at that moment was to embrace her beloved son.
The little one was lifted into Noble Consort Yi’s arms, and he hugged her tightly in return.
“Mother, I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too,” Noble Consort Yi said, kissing his soft, chubby cheeks. It had been so long since she had last kissed those adorable cheeks, and she truly missed him.
After she kissed the left side of his face, the little one eagerly offered his right cheek. “Don’t forget this side!”
Noble Consort Yi smiled and kissed his right cheek too.
The two of them, one big and one small, cuddled affectionately, reluctant to let go of each other.
After a long while, Noble Consort Yi remembered that Emperor Ling was still waiting in the palace. Restraining her desire to spend more time with her little one, she gently reminded him, “Alright, it’s time to go see your father.”
“Little Seven, go see your father now.”
“Okay!” the little one nodded, rubbing his face against hers once more before hopping down to the floor.
He had also prepared a gift for Emperor Ling.
“Mother, does Daddy know I’m back?”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Yay! I’m off!”
Upon hearing that his father wasn’t aware of his return, the little one’s excitement grew, and he ran towards the Chengming Palace, still hiding from people along the way.
The palace had been cleared in advance so the little prince could carry out his surprise smoothly.
In Chengming Palace, Emperor Ling had grown weary from waiting. He propped his head on his hand, unable to focus on the documents before him.
“Where is Little Seven now?”
“Your Majesty, the little prince is almost here,” Lu Guang replied with a smile. “Your Majesty, the young prince has been sneaking around trying to avoid people—it’s been quite the challenge for him.”
Thinking of how his son always hid poorly during hide-and-seek, Emperor Ling chuckled. “I suspect it’s even more difficult for everyone pretending not to see him.”
Everyone had indeed struggled to act like they hadn’t noticed the little one, who always left his little bottom sticking out whenever he hid.
Lu Guang and Emperor Ling chatted about the young prince, while in the Palace of Consort De, Consort Shu had come for a visit.
“Sister, have you heard about the banquet prepared for Little Seven tonight? They say it’s being done in the highest style.”
“There’s a performance troupe, acrobats, and even fireworks at the end. Such a lively banquet is rarely seen in the palace,” Consort Shu said enthusiastically, but Consort De showed little reaction.
Consort Shu didn’t seem to mind her lack of response and continued talking until Consort De frowned and cut her off.
“Why keep talking about this?”
Unimpressed, Consort De added, “If His Majesty wants to throw a banquet for him, let him. It’s just one banquet, nothing worth mentioning.”
“Sister, forgive little sister for being blunt, but there’s something I must remind you of,” Consort Shu said, lowering her voice as she glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “His Majesty’s affection for Little Seven surpasses even that for the eldest prince. In this palace, when it comes to favor, no one can overshadow Noble Consort Yi and Little Seven.”
“No matter how much he spoils them, Little Seven is only three years old. What can His Majesty really do?” Consort De retorted, unwilling to believe that the emperor’s affection for Little Seven would last forever. The little one had many older brothers, and she couldn’t imagine Emperor Ling losing his head over him.
Her real concern was with the Empress and the eldest prince. In terms of background, she was on par with the Empress, and her fourth son was just as capable as the eldest prince.
The age gap between the two boys wasn’t significant.
Since the emperor hadn’t yet designated an heir, her son still had a chance.
“Sister, don’t underestimate youth,” Consort Shu said softly, leaning in closer. “Remember, His Majesty was once the youngest too. And back then, his older brothers… the former emperor’s hands weren’t clean as well.”
Consort De’s expression changed as she looked at Consort Shu.
The inner workings of the royal family were closely guarded, and no one dared speak of how Emperor Ling had come to power.
It was only known that his older brothers had either died or disappeared, with King Yong supporting him in the end. And so, Emperor Ling ascended to the throne.
Consort Shu’s words, whispered so quietly that only the two of them could hear, sent a chill down Consort De’s spine.
“Sister, you and I are close. I’ve watched your fourth son grow up, and in my heart, I truly wish the best for him,” Consort Shu said sincerely, holding Consort De’s hand.
Consort De didn’t respond immediately, gripping Consort Shu’s hand tightly, lost in thought.
“Royal Mother,” came a voice from the entrance. It was her fourth son, Ling Hao, who had just entered the room.
Seeing Consort Shu, Ling Hao instinctively frowned but quickly composed himself and greeted her respectfully.
After exchanging a few words with him, Consort Shu left.
Once she was gone, Ling Hao turned to his mother. “Royal Mother, didn’t I ask you not to associate with Consort Shu? I don’t trust her intentions.”
“I know who I should associate with,” Consort De said firmly, not wanting to hear more. “How’s the task your father assigned you? You need to handle it well. The eldest prince has been in the spotlight recently, and if you don’t overshadow him soon, your father might forget about you.”
“Royal Mother, I—”
Ling Hao wanted to say more but, seeing his mother’s expression, swallowed his words.
He knew that whatever he said, she wouldn’t listen.
And if she became too emotional, it would only make matters worse.
“I understand, Royal Mother. I’ll handle it properly,” he said instead.
Ling Hao stayed with her for a while but left without accomplishing much. He had originally intended to ask if he could bring Little Seven over to play.
Little Seven healed his arm, so it’s only right that they all owe him thanks.
Ling Hao left the palace and casually grabbed a servant to ask where Little Seven was, but didn’t get an answer.
Not only did he spend a long time asking around, but Emperor Ling had also been inquiring all day within the palace.
“Your Majesty, it seems that the young prince went to find the eldest prince,” a eunuch reported after being asked yet again.
Emperor Ling’s face immediately turned cold upon hearing this.
“What’s he going to see the eldest prince for?”
“I don’t know, Your Majesty.”
“Get out.”
The emperor clenched his chair tightly, scaring the eunuch so much that his legs trembled.
Lu Guang entered and kicked the eunuch: “The emperor told you to leave. Hurry up and get out.”
After being kicked, the eunuch’s legs finally moved, and he quickly retreated.
At the table, Emperor Ling’s expression remained terrifyingly cold.
“Your Majesty,” Lu Guang approached softly, speaking in a gentle voice, “It’s been over a year since the young prince has seen the eldest prince since he went to the summer palace.”
“On the way back, it’s likely he thought to stop by and see him.”
Lu Guang added with a chuckle, “Our young prince has always been thoughtful, even greeting us servants whenever he meets us.”
It wasn’t clear if the emperor was listening, but judging by his expression, his face was still dark and foreboding.
Meanwhile, the young prince was feeling frustrated as he spoke to a palace servant: “How did you even spot me?”
“Your Highness, I saw you right away,” replied the maid leading him.
The young boy, who had managed to sneak around unnoticed all day, pouted for a moment, but soon regained his spirits. “Why is big brother looking for me? I was going to see father.”
“I don’t know either,” the maid said. She only knew she was tasked with taking him to his brother.
After walking for a while, the maid, who had been keeping her head down, pointed ahead: “The eldest prince is waiting for you inside.”
The little one, hearing this, happily ran inside.
As soon as he entered, the maid turned and left.
Inside, eldest prince Ling Chen, seeing his younger brother for the first time in over a year, couldn’t suppress his smile.
“Little Seven! What brings you here?”
Ling Chen lifted him up, raising him in the air.
The little one, thrilled to be lifted, quickly forgot to answer why he had come, instead enjoying the fun of being held high.
“Little Seven, the birthday gift you sent me last time was too precious,” Ling Chen mentioned, still excited as he recalled the gift. “Did the masters at Guan Shan Residence really give you something like that?”
“Yes! The masters are all so kind,” Little Seven replied, his view of the world still innocent and full of good-hearted people.
After chatting for a while about Guan Shan Residence, Ling Chen regained his composure and changed the subject.
“We can talk more later. Did you visit royal father today?”
“Not yet, but I’m going to,” Little Seven said, finally remembering his earlier question. “I was going to see daddy, but then you called for me, so I came here.”
Ling Chen: “?”
Ling Chen’s heart skipped a beat. “What? You said I called for you?”
“Yep, big brother has something to ask, right?”
Ling Chen had no idea what his brother was talking about. There was no reason for him to call him here, especially now.
In recent months, their father’s temper had visibly worsened. Not only that, but the emperor had grown increasingly suspicious.
Looking at Little Seven, Ling Chen began to sweat. If Little Seven went to their father now and explained that someone had deliberately led him to the eldest prince, their father might not believe it. Worse, he might suspect it was Ling Chen’s idea.
If Little Seven said nothing, their father might think he valued his brother more than his father.
Either way, it was a trap.
“Little Seven,” Ling Chen’s voice trembled as he called his brother’s name, trying to think of a way out.
“If you came to me first, father might be…” He paused, replacing “angry” with “jealous.”
“Don’t worry,” Little Seven beamed confidently, “Little Seven can cheer up father!”
“Big brother, it’s getting late. I’m off to see father now. Goodbye!” Little Seven gave his brother a kiss on the cheek, waved, and ran off.
This time, no one stopped him. Even if they wanted to, he was running too fast, not looking back at all.
After running for a while, he finally arrived at the entrance of Chengming Hall.
Lu Guang’s eyes lit up when he saw the little figure approaching. “Oh my little prince, you’re finally here.”
He hurried over to greet the little one.
“Gonggong, is father inside?”
“Yes, yes, he’s inside. Young prince, when did you return? It’s so good to have you back.”
“The emperor is inside, but his mood isn’t great right now.”
“I know,” Little Seven replied confidently.
The little one didn’t let Lu Guang announce his arrival. Instead, he tiptoed quietly into the hall.
He had brought a gift for Emperor Ling as well, though it wasn’t as elaborate as the one for Noble Consort Yi.
Upon entering, he saw Emperor Ling sitting at the table, looking displeased—someone must have irritated him.
But the little one wasn’t afraid of Emperor Ling being angry.
Carefully avoiding the emperor’s gaze, he snuck over to the emperor’s bed.
He placed the gifts on the bed, and after doing so, he tried to hide himself.
Since the blankets were already puffed up by the gifts, he didn’t hide under them. Instead, he squeezed under a soft stool, making sure to hide his head while leaving his little chubby feet sticking out without realizing it.
He rolled a small ball with a note on it toward Emperor Ling. When the emperor picked it up, the little one quickly laid flat on the ground, covering his mouth with his hands.
The gift he had given Noble Consort Yi had clues to help her find him. But when it came to Emperor Ling, there were no clues at all—he simply wanted the emperor to find him.
There was no denying that the little one treated his mother and father differently.
Emperor Ling’s face was still dark when he saw the little ball. After reading the note, he sat there for a moment, still frowning, but eventually got up, his expression cold as he went to look for the little one.
He barely had to look around before he spotted the little chubby feet sticking out from under the stool.
Emperor Ling scoffed inwardly—this little fool still hadn’t learned how to play hide and seek properly, even after being out for so long.
Though he saw the chubby feet, the emperor pretended to search for a while longer before walking over, squatting down, and grabbing the little feet, pulling the little one out.
The little one wasn’t cooperating at first, kicking his short legs, trying to crawl deeper under the stool.
As the little one crawled forward, the emperor pulled him back.
After a brief tug-of-war, the little one, now giggling, was pulled out.
Once out, the little one stretched out his arms and threw himself into Emperor Ling’s embrace.
“Daddy, I’m back!”
Emperor Ling gave a soft “hmm” and patted his chubby little bottom. “I see that.”
“Daddy, I missed you so much!”
The emperor picked him up and began walking, “Did you really miss me, or are you just saying that?”
“I really missed you! I missed you so much!” The little one said earnestly, wrapping his arms around the emperor’s neck and rubbing his chubby face affectionately against him.
As the little one nuzzled him, Emperor Ling didn’t forget to ask, “If you missed me so much, why didn’t you come see me sooner?”
The emperor asked bluntly, and the little one, still holding onto his neck, answered in his soft voice, “I wanted to see you sooner, but I had to prepare a gift for you.”
“Oh? And you had to take all this time to prepare the gift?”
“Some were ready earlier, but some weren’t.”
The little one snuggled up to him, explaining, “I ran out of pocket money, so I borrowed some from big brother to play a long, long game with you!”
“That’s also my gift to you.”
After hearing this, Emperor Ling furrowed his brows slightly. “If you ran out of money, why didn’t you ask your mother? Why borrow from your brother? And what game costs money? Have you learned to gamble?”
“It’s a card game from Guan Shan Residence! We can bet a little bit of money—it’s so much fun. We need three people to play: daddy, mother, and me.”
“That’s why I can’t take your money.”
The little one explained his logic in detail, making it clear that his trip to see his brother wasn’t entirely pointless.
“Daddy, come on, I’ll show you how to play.”
The little one wriggled in his father’s arms, urging him to the bed. He lifted the blanket to show the gifts he had hidden there.
“Daddy didn’t even notice the gift!”
The little one had a look of amusement on his face as if calling his father silly.
Emperor Ling raised his eyebrows, pinching the little one’s chubby cheeks so he couldn’t make any more faces.
The two played around like this for a while until the little one had finished explaining the rules.
Instead of calling Noble Consort Yi, Emperor Ling summoned Lu Guang and instructed him to play along.
At first, the little one won two rounds thanks to his familiarity with the cards. But after those rounds, once Emperor Ling got the hang of the game, the little one didn’t win again.
All of the little one’s money was taken away.
Unhappy with his losses, the little one tore long strips of paper, declaring that the loser would have to stick them on their face.
Emperor Ling agreed. “Alright.”
And then, Emperor Ling kept winning.
The little one’s soft chubby face was soon covered with several strips of paper, and by the end, he was on the verge of tears.
“Daddy…”
The little one sniffled, trying hard not to cry. He had only two cards left: a three and a two.
The two was a strong card, but the three was weak.
“I only have two cards left,” he said.
Emperor Ling replied, “Hmm, I have four.”
Four cards were more than two, so the little one confidently used his two to beat Lu Guang’s card.
After playing his two, Emperor Ling laid down four identical cards.
“You mentioned this was a bomb—it’s just in time to be played.”
The little one: “…”
He had lost again.
After losing ten rounds in a row, he had not only lost all his money but also his dignity, with his face covered in paper.
The more Emperor Ling played, the more fun he had, especially enjoying the little one’s expressions during the game. Sometimes, he didn’t even need to guess—he could tell what cards the little one had just by looking at his face.
Reluctant to stop, Emperor Ling asked, “Little Seven, do you want to keep playing?”
The one who answered him was the sudden sound of the little one crying.
The Emperor: “…”
In less than an hour, Emperor Ling had successfully turned a happy Little Rascal into a sad one.
The Little Rascal had never lost when playing cards in the Guan Shan Residence!
Whether he played with the kids in his class or with Ah Wu and Little Bai, the Little Rascal was always the winner.
He had been winning big at Guan Shan Residence, but upon returning to the palace, he lost so much he ended up wailing.
The Emperor had bullied the Little Rascal into tears and hurried to comfort him.
“Alright, alright, stop crying. Isn’t it normal to win and lose in card games?”
“Zai Zai keeps losing!”
With his face covered in little paper strips, tears welling up in his eyes, the little one questioned his father: “Does Daddy not love little one anymore?”
Emperor Ling: “Why would you ask that?”
With tears in his eyes, the little one presented his case: “If Daddy loved Zai Zai, he would let Zai Zai win a little!”
Emperor Ling, who hadn’t seen him in a while, watched his son cry without looking away: “Daddy loves Zai Zai, but who says love means letting you win?”
No one had ever said that.
The little one’s crying softened a bit. He paused and added, “Zai Zai is small, so you should let me win a little.”
“And Daddy is big, so shouldn’t Zai Zai let Daddy win too?”
In the end, the little one, still young, couldn’t argue his way out of that one.
Father and son spent time in the palace, with the little prince alternating between crying and laughing, while Lu Guang quietly listened with a smile on his face.
The little prince’s mood shifted back and forth, but as for their Emperor, his mood was only getting better.
After a long while in the palace, the Emperor hoisted the little one onto his shoulders, walking around to cheer him up.
“Are you done crying? If you’re done, let’s go eat.”
Emperor Ling said to him, “There’s a juggling performance and a theater troupe in the palace. Would you like to watch while we eat?”
“Yes, yes!”
Now sitting on his father’s shoulders, the little one stopped crying and, still with tear-streaked cheeks, cheered up again: “Let’s eat! And watch a show!”
“Let’s go.”
With that, the Emperor took the little one out, and the long-awaited banquet finally began.
At the banquet, some people glanced at the empty seats, wondering what expression Emperor Ling would have when he arrived.
The Chapter 95 is missing.