At such a lively banquet, there were people in the palace who were interested in watching and others who weren’t as keen.
Not long after the banquet started, Emperor Ling arrived, carrying the little one in his arms.
The little one had wanted to walk by himself, but Emperor Ling held him tightly, saying, “I can carry you, it’s faster. Your little legs are too slow.”
“They’re not little legs.”
The little one, who wasn’t growing very fast, was a bit sensitive about the phrase “little legs.” In Emperor Ling’s arms, he kicked his chubby legs and said, “Look! They’re not short!”
Emperor Ling calmly compared his arm with the little one’s legs.
The little one: “…”
After seeing the comparison, the little one sadly pulled back his legs.
“Drink more goat’s milk, and you’ll grow taller.”
As he carried the little one, Emperor Ling asked, “Do they have goat’s milk at Guan Shan Residence?”
“Yes! They also have cow’s milk, and it’s really tasty!”
The little one loved goat’s milk and cow’s milk, but he was frustrated: “I’ve been drinking a lot, but I’m still not growing tall.”
He had drunk so much milk, but he was still the shortest kid in his class.
Of course, he was also the youngest in his class.
“You also need to eat more food. Eating more will help you grow too.”
With that conversation, they arrived at the banquet.
The Empress was seated next to Emperor Ling.
Everyone else was seated further away. Emperor Ling glanced at the seating and said calmly, “This is a family banquet. No need to be formal—sit wherever you like, no matter the seat.”
Though he said this, few dared to actually move. However, Ling Fu, who wanted to play with Little Seven, came over and asked to sit next to him.
Emperor Ling saw him approach and added a chair for him.
So, the seating arrangement became the Empress on his left, Noble Consort Yi on his right, and between Noble Consort Yi and him, a small chair had been added for Ling Rui.
When Ling Fu came, Emperor Ling had another small chair brought over.
The two kids sat in such prominent positions, completely unafraid. The two were chatting in low voices.
“Little Seven, you’ve grown taller.”
True to being Little Seven’s favorite sixth brother, Ling Fu immediately said something his younger brother loved to hear.
“Sixth Brother, you’ve also lost a bit of weight!”
Returning the favor, Little Seven said something that his sixth brother would love to hear. He had observed carefully earlier, and based on memory and a bit of bias toward his brother, he thought Ling Fu did seem a little slimmer.
That wasn’t exactly a lie.
The adults couldn’t hear the two children’s whispers, but they could see that both kids were quite happy.
The other princes and princesses were also present, but after seeing Ling Fu and Little Seven’s seats, none of them dared to ask to sit nearby.
Even the Fifth Princess, who wasn’t very old, kept her head down and stayed close to her mother, cautious and saying little.
The banquet didn’t have any unnecessary formalities. Once Emperor Ling arrived, the food was served promptly, skipping some of the usual complex steps to prevent the dishes from getting cold.
The menu for the banquet had been personally reviewed by Noble Consort Yi.
The little one was happily eating the food.
Ling Fu wasn’t a picky eater and enjoyed every dish brought out.
While eating and watching the performance on stage, the little one felt the atmosphere of the banquet was quite lively.
The theater troupe performed with great energy, and occasionally, the concubines would chat during the banquet.
The concubines were all talking about the little prince.
They asked how the little prince was adjusting to being outside the palace. Among those asking, there were a few young faces that made the little one feel quite puzzled.
He didn’t recognize these young beauties.
These beauties had entered the palace in the past six months, but after entering, the Emperor had been in a bad mood and hadn’t paid much attention to them.
Before they entered the palace, confident in their beauty, they harbored thoughts of competing with Noble Consort Yi. But once inside, they realized the palace wasn’t as simple as they thought. Forget about becoming a noble consort—getting the title of a concubine was already difficult.
“I’m doing well at school.”
Although the little one didn’t know these faces, he politely responded, “School isn’t very hard.”
“Little Seven says it’s not hard, probably because he doesn’t want to make Noble Consort Yi and His Majesty worry. Little Seven is truly a filial child.”
Consort Shu praised the little one in a gentle tone, “But if Little Seven could come back to study, it would be even better. That way, Noble Consort Yi wouldn’t have to constantly worry about how he’s doing outside.”
Consort Shu’s words were gentle and didn’t seem problematic.
However, Noble Consort Yi raised her eyes and cast a cold glance at her, with just two words on her face: “Shut up.”
Consort Shu: “…”
With a faint smile, Consort Shu closed her mouth.
“I’m concerned about him, but that has nothing to do with him studying outside.”
Noble Consort Yi gave no face to Consort Shu, and after she fell silent, continued in a cold voice, “From what you’re saying, it sounds like you’re praising Little Seven’s filial piety on the surface, but secretly implying that if he doesn’t come back to study, he’s unfilial?”
One had to be extremely careful when speaking in front of Noble Consort Yi. She didn’t tolerate any roundabout comments, and if she heard something she didn’t like, she would immediately retort.
“Noble Consort, you’ve misunderstood me.”
Consort Shu left her seat, bowed to Noble Consort Yi, and explained that she didn’t mean to imply that the seventh prince was unfilial.
Unfilial conduct was a serious offense, and she bowed her head, saying she wouldn’t dare to accuse the seventh prince of such a grave crime.
Emperor Ling glanced at Consort Shu on the ground and said calmly, “Alright, return to your seat.”
Their verbal exchange had drawn the little one’s attention away from the performance, and he was now watching Consort Shu on the ground.
Since the Emperor had spoken, Consort Shu naturally returned to her seat.
After she sat down, Consort De glanced at her.
With so many people at the banquet, the little one’s eyes were busy taking everything in. Being so young, he was easily distracted.
Besides watching the performance, he also looked around at his brothers and sisters.
He’d already seen his eldest brother.
His second sister had grown taller and looked even prettier.
His third brother was secretly sipping wine.
His fourth brother was also looking at him!
His fifth sister was sitting with her head down, not talking to anyone, and hardly eating.
The little one looked around and couldn’t help but turn to whisper to his sixth brother, “Sixth Brother, do you still play with Fifth Sister?”
Ling Fu shook his head, then nodded, “Not as much anymore. Fifth Sister often stays in the palace doing embroidery, and even when I call her, she doesn’t come out. I feel like she doesn’t like playing with others as much anymore.”
“That must be so lonely.”
The little one still remembered when he first saw Fifth Sister, and her personality wasn’t as reserved as it was now.
Back then, when they went outside the palace, Fifth Sister was lively and playful too.
“Sixth Brother, you should spend more time with Fifth Sister.”
“I know.”
Ling Fu then gnawed on another chicken leg, completely ignoring the death stare from Consort Ru sitting a few seats away.
Even the little one felt Consort Ru’s death glare.
“Sixth Brother.”
The little one had stopped eating a while ago, but Sixth Brother was still going at it.
Worried, he tugged at his brother’s arm and said, “You better stop eating. Consort Ru has been staring at you.”
Ling Fu: “…”
Ling Fu, hearing this, grabbed another chicken leg and continued eating.
As he gnawed on it, he calmly said, “When we get back, my mother is going to scold me anyway. I won’t be able to eat chicken legs or meat for the next two days, so I need to eat more now.”
The little one: “…”
The little one admired his sixth brother’s dedication to eating.
With Sixth Brother leading the way, he patted his own already full belly and reached out for a chicken leg too.
But before he could grab one, the Emperor tapped his little hand, “No more eating. Watch the performance.”
Emperor Ling had already checked the little one’s belly, and it was quite full, so he wasn’t allowed to eat more.
As for Little Six, the Emperor was used to his food-loving son by now.
With the Emperor and Noble Consort Yi watching over him, the full-bellied little one didn’t ask for more food.
The performers and jugglers in the palace were the best of the best.
The little one watched with great interest.
After the performances, there was even a fireworks display.
These fireworks were created in Luocheng. Since they were flammable and dangerous, they hadn’t yet been widely used among the common people.
But now, the palace had gotten to see them first.
The fireworks were viewed from the observation deck, where the sightlines were the best. Everyone went up to the observation deck, but since it had steps and Noble Consort Yi was wearing a palace gown, it wasn’t convenient for her to carry the little one.
So, the Emperor carried him again.
There was a breeze on the observation deck, and with the little one in his arms, the Emperor stood between the Empress and Noble Consort Yi as they all looked up at the fireworks.
The fireworks were dazzling.
The little one watched the beautiful display and even made a wish.
He whispered a bunch of wishes.
“May Mother stay healthy.”
“May Father’s headaches go away.”
“May Big Brother be safe and sound…”
“May Second Sister grow even prettier.”
The little one made a long list of wishes. After the fireworks ended, he had made a wish for everyone, including one for himself.
He made a wish for himself, hoping he could ensure that everyone’s fate would turn out well.
The Empress, standing nearby, overheard his wish.
Holding her prayer beads, the Empress thought indifferently—
If making wishes worked, the temples’ thresholds would have been worn out long ago.
In this world, wishing is the least effective thing.
If people want something, they must go out and find it themselves, grab it with their own hands. Waiting for others to give it to you often leads to disappointment.
By the time the fireworks show was over, it was already very late.
The little one was rubbing his eyes. Though he didn’t want to sleep yet and still wanted to play, it was already his bedtime, and one yawn followed another.
“Empress, you should head back to rest soon.”
As they were dispersing, the Emperor showed concern for the Empress. “It’s windy tonight, be careful on your way back.”
After caring for the Empress, he then headed to the palace of Noble Consort Yi.
Since the little one had just returned, he wasn’t in the mood to visit any of the other beauties.
He carried the little one and returned with the Noble Consort.
After they left, Consort Shu and Consort De left together.
The Empress watched their departing figures, turning her prayer beads silently.
The night grew quiet.
The little one, having had a long day, was now fast asleep between the two adults. His little belly rose and fell with his breathing, so soft and round that it made you want to poke it.
Emperor Ling, thinking this, gave it a little poke.
Noble Consort Yi slapped his hand, scolding him lightly, “If you wake him up, he’ll cry again.”
The little one was not easy to comfort when he cried at night.
Emperor Ling, his hand slapped away, didn’t get angry.
He lay back down, trying to cuddle both the little one and Noble Consort Yi.
The Noble Consort chuckled, “You can barely hold him, let alone me. Just wait and see, within half an hour, who knows where he’ll end up sleeping.”
Their little one had an unpredictable sleep style—who knew where he learned it from? He never stayed still while sleeping.
“If he kicks me in the face again tomorrow morning with his chubby feet, I swear I’ll wake him up with a spanking.”
Before falling asleep, the Emperor, looking at the little one who was still sleeping peacefully, gave this warning in advance.
Noble Consort Yi ignored his threat.
As for the little one being warned, he turned over in his sleep, sticking his little butt toward the Emperor.
Emperor Ling: “…”
He gave the little one’s little butt a light pat, then rubbed it soothingly before the little one could frown in his sleep.
The little one’s face wrinkled a bit, but he stayed asleep.
That night, the little one slept peacefully, snuggled between his parents in a familiar bed, feeling safe and secure.
The next morning, the little one was sprawled across the bed, one chubby leg draped across the Emperor’s face, nearly suffocating him.
Emperor Ling, struggling to breathe, was jolted awake.
Once awake, he carefully moved the little one’s chubby leg aside, gritting his teeth, “It’s strange. Why does he always pick on me?”
Noble Consort Yi was still asleep, but her face had never been kicked by those chubby feet or squished by the little one’s plump legs.
It seemed this little one chose who he would pounce on in his sleep.
Now that he was awake, the Emperor decided not to go back to bed.
There were plenty of issues waiting for him at court, the constant bickering of ministers driving him crazy.
He got out of bed without waking either the little one or Noble Consort Yi and quietly left.
Despite leaving early, he still encountered a beauty in the garden who had also risen early.
The beauty was admiring the flowers and sketching the scene into a painting.
Emperor Ling glanced over her shoulder. She was quite skilled.
“Why are you out here painting so early?” the Emperor asked as he approached her.
The beauty was startled but quickly gathered herself, greeting him with a bow. With a blush spreading across her delicate face, she explained, “The morning air is fresher, and the flowers are still covered in dew. I prefer admiring them at this time.”
“You not only admire flowers but capture their beauty well in your painting.”
Emperor Ling examined her artwork for a moment before asking, “What is your name?”
“The concubine’s name is Wanwan, and I reside in Lingsha Palace.”
Emperor Ling gave a slight nod, glanced at her face again, then turned to leave.
It was time for him to attend the morning court session.
While the Emperor was busy with matters of state, the little one was still dreaming sweetly in the palace.
Time passed, and when the Emperor returned from court, the little one had just woken up, still in his pajamas, sitting up in bed.
He greeted his father with a soft “good morning” and reached out his little arms, asking to be held.
Emperor Ling picked him up, though his expression was slightly sour.
Noble Consort Yi, noticing his mood, knew at once that something unpleasant must have happened during court.
Without asking any questions, she let the little one cling to his father, who was now busy helping him wash his face and get dressed.
Though frustrated earlier, the Emperor was distracted by the clingy little boy.
“You’re not allowed to bring servants to Guan Shan Residence. How did you manage there?” the Emperor asked as he wiped the little one’s face. The little one swung his chubby legs and replied, “I wash my own face, and other people help me wash too.”
By “other people,” the little one specifically meant Ah Wu.
With Ah Wu around, he never had to lift a finger.
Emperor Ling quickly finished dressing him, then sat down to have breakfast with him.
The palace breakfast suited the little one’s taste much better.
After breakfast, the Emperor went off to attend to his duties, and the little one went off to find playmates.
He first met up with Shui Shui and his sixth brother, and once the three of them were together, they started looking for their other brothers and sisters.
The eldest prince greeted them, gave them some snacks, and played with them for a while.
When the second princess saw the little one, she didn’t seem very enthusiastic, but she drew a self-portrait for him on the spot, adding a little rabbit as a companion, just the way he liked it.
“Second Sister’s painting is beautiful.”
The little one was extremely pleased with his second sister’s painting. He happily gave her a hug and stayed with her for quite a while before running off with Shui Shui and Ling Fu.
When they reached Third Brother, the little one looked at Shui Shui, then at Third Brother, and acted as a little mediator between them.
After the mediation, Shui Shui finally agreed to talk to the Third Prince again.
After leaving Third Brother, the little one went to find Fourth Brother.
Ling Hao already knew that the little one was making his rounds. When the little one arrived, Ling Hao immediately picked him up and took him to the hunting grounds to ride horses.
Ling Fu refused to join in such activities—he had no interest in horseback riding or archery.
Instead of following his Seventh Brother and Fourth Brother out, Ling Fu took Shui Shui with him.
“Shui Shui, about the weight-loss medicine I mentioned last time… did you manage to make it for me?”
Ling Fu held onto Shui Shui as they walked away, leaving the Little Seven and Fourth Brother to head out together.
Shui Shui was still fond of Ling Fu and, after being pulled along, replied slowly, “Just taking medicine alone won’t work.”
If Ling Fu wanted to lose weight, he had to control his diet and stop eating recklessly. No weight-loss medicine could save him otherwise.
As the two of them chatted and walked further away, the little one, who was being led out by Fourth Brother, was happily talking to him.
“My arm is completely healed now, Little Seven. Thank you.”
Ling Hao hadn’t initially believed his arm would fully recover. Though the little one had repeatedly promised to find him some herbs, Ling Hao had little hope in his heart.
He never expected that even when the little one was away, he still remembered his injured arm and actually brought the herbs back for him.
“No need to thank me!”
The little one sat in front of Fourth Brother, his small chest held securely by Ling Hao’s arm. As they galloped on the horse, the wind blew against his chubby cheeks, causing the soft flesh to wobble slightly.
They rode around the hunting grounds, and the little one even got to see his own little horse.
“This little horse is for you. Sit on it carefully and see if you can ride it.”
The horse had already been trained, so the little one wouldn’t be thrown off.
Ling Hao held onto him, guiding the little horse around the grounds while they continued chatting.
Ling Hao brought up the little one’s uncle: “Did you know your uncle is about to negotiate a marriage?”
The little one: “!”
The little one: “I didn’t know!”
He had no idea that his little uncle was about to discuss marriage. This time, upon his return, he had intended to visit his little uncle, but he hadn’t yet had the chance to go to the General’s Mansion.
“Your uncle hasn’t returned yet, but he should be back soon. Right now, the court is in turmoil over your eldest aunt’s situation.”
“What happened to Eldest Aunt?”
“Someone has come to propose to your eldest aunt, but His Majesty hasn’t agreed. The issue hasn’t been resolved yet.”
Ling Hao was well-informed about the matters of the General’s Mansion, especially when it came to Murong Xue, whom he greatly admired.
When he saw that someone had come to propose to Murong Xue, he only had one thought:
“That person isn’t worthy.”
In his mind, there wasn’t anyone in the world worthy of marrying Murong Xue.
“Fourth Brother, can you take me to the General’s Mansion? I want to see Grandpa and Grandma.”
“Sure.”
Ling Hao played with him for quite a while before taking him to the General’s Mansion.
At the General’s Mansion, Madam Murong had already heard that the little prince had returned. She had been planning to visit the palace to discuss the family matters with Yi Er and to see the little prince.
But before she could leave, the little one arrived at the door himself.
“Little one is here!”
The little one came bearing gifts, but Madam Murong didn’t pay much attention to the gifts. She picked him up, examined him closely, and then said, “You’ve lost weight. Our little Seven must have suffered outside.”
The little one, “…”
He hadn’t suffered at all.
Madam Murong was overjoyed to see him and took him inside. Even the usually stern General Murong came over to have a look at him.
Surrounded by adults, the little one wasn’t nervous at all.
“Little one missed you all so much.”
With his sweet words, the little one, held in the arms of the adults, spoke in a soft and affectionate tone.
While they were enjoying the reunion, the Duchess also sent over an invitation.
The Duchess brought her youngest son, Jiang Yan, and Jiang Yan brought Chen Zhou with him. As soon as the two companions arrived, they rushed to hug the little one.
“Little Seven, you’re finally back!”
Jiang Yan hugged the little one tightly and, after hugging him, took him aside.
The adults had things to discuss, and the children didn’t want to get involved.
Seeing the children run off, the Duchess smiled. “Little Yan has been clamoring to see Little Seven since early this morning. If I hadn’t brought him, he would have turned the house upside down.”
After discussing the children, the Duchess glanced at Madam Murong, her smile fading slightly, and lowered her voice: “Aunt Jin, I’ve heard about Sister Xue’s situation. What do you all plan to do?”
The suitor wasn’t from their own Qi Dynasty but from the Great Qi.
A general from Great Qi, who was already thirty-two and still unmarried, claimed to have fallen in love with Murong Xue at first sight. If he could marry her, he promised to gift Qi three cities and sign a peace agreement.
The agreement would guarantee that after Murong Xue was married off, there would be no need to worry about border security.
The Great Qi general had sworn that if he could marry Murong Xue, he would never let her down.
Madam Murong thought of the general’s words and felt a surge of anger. “He’s been spouting filthy nonsense! I wouldn’t give him the time of day, and he expects my Xue Er to consider him?!”
“He claims to have no wife and to be deeply devoted to Xue Er, but I’ve investigated thoroughly. He may not have a wife, but he already has a bunch of children!”
Madam Murong was getting more and more agitated as she spoke.
The Duchess had always been on good terms with Noble Consort Yi, and she had admired Murong Xue, Noble Consort Yi’s elder sister, since childhood. Now that something had happened to Murong Xue, the Duchess was also holding back her frustration.
“Great Qi is causing this mess, and Great Qing is doing nothing about it! We’ve never missed a single tribute to Great Qing!” The Duchess was now furious with Great Qing’s inaction. “What is the emperor of Great Qing doing?”
“The harem in Great Qing is in chaos, and not only that, the court is unstable as well.”
Right now, Great Qi had seized this opportunity. They planned to take Murong Xue while Great Qing was too preoccupied to intervene with Qi Dynasty, and they even offered military support in return for Murong Xue’s protection of the border.
To achieve this, they were willing to give three cities.
These three cities looked like a tempting prize, but without Murong Xue in Qi Dynasty, they wouldn’t be able to handle such a gain.
There was a heated debate in the court—some agreed to the marriage, while others opposed it.
As for Emperor Ling, his stance was still unclear.
Great Qi even hinted that they might offer more, possibly up to ten cities.
Though Emperor Ling appeared to have no ambitions beyond protecting his ancestors’ legacy, the temptation of expanding his territory was hard for any emperor to resist.
Moreover, in recent years, there had been quite a few people eyeing Murong Xue’s position.
While the adults continued discussing Murong Xue, the little one, who had turned back to fetch something, overheard everything.
His little face tensed as he listened to their words.
By the time he returned to Jiang Yan, his expression was so stern that Jiang Yan was taken aback.
“Little Seven, what’s wrong? Who upset you?”
The little one clenched his chubby fists, and his small round face showed his anger. He asked Jiang Yan, “Do you know where Jingchuan Inn is?”
Jiang Yan nodded. “Yeah, that’s where they host foreign guests. Why?”
With a serious expression, the little one said, “There are bad people in there. I’m going to take them down!”
Jiang Yan: “…”
Without thinking, Jiang Yan nodded, “Okay, I’ll go with you.”
But the little one wasn’t reckless. After taking half a year of classes at Guan Shan Residence, his little mind had become sharper.
First, they went to beg the adults to let them go out and play. Once outside, they headed straight for Jingchuan Inn and ordered a meal on the first floor.
Although the inn mostly catered to foreign guests, it also served local nobles, and it was known for being expensive. Ordinary folks couldn’t afford to dine there.
The three of them pooled together all the money they had, and Jiang Yan even had to show his status as the young heir of the Duke’s estate before they managed to secure a table.
As he looked at a plate of stir-fried potatoes in front of him, the little one winced. “One tael of silver for this potato?”
This place was a total rip-off! He remembered from his practice lessons that potatoes sold for only two copper coins per pound at the market.
They spent all their money on the meal, and Jiang Yan had to write up an IOU.
Chen Zhou, silently eating his meal, resolved not to waste a single shred of potato.
The little one, seeing Chen Zhou eat, started eating as well.
While they ate, the little one shared what he’d overheard with his two close friends. He trusted them enough to be honest.
“Little Seven, maybe you should wait,” Jiang Yan suggested. Being the heir of the Duke’s estate, he had heard bits and pieces about the situation.
“Your little uncle is coming back soon, and I think he’ll take care of this.”
Murong Xu was due to return soon to discuss marriage, and he likely intended to address this issue as well.
Imagining himself in Murong Xu’s shoes, Jiang Yan huffed, “If I were your uncle, I’d kill anyone who dared to bully Sister Xue!”
Jiang Yan’s words made the little one, who was busy eating potatoes, suddenly pause.
He remembered his little uncle’s visions of doom.
In every one of his little uncle’s visions, there was always a death sentence looming.
This time —
Would his little uncle’s fate this time be sealed because he was protecting Eldest Aunt?
As thoughts of his beloved little uncle and eldest aunt filled his mind, the little one suddenly found the potatoes tasteless.
He swallowed them and said earnestly, “I must protect Eldest Aunt!”
Whoever tries to marry Eldest Aunt, I’ll deal with them!
After being raised by a ferocious beast for a while, it seemed the little one had picked up some of the beast’s temperament.
The three kids, now finished with their vegetarian meal, kept their eyes on the patrons of the inn.
Sure enough, the person who wanted to marry Murong Xue was likely staying there.
But before they could spot him, a kid approached their table.
Dressed in fine clothes, the little one tilted his head and asked curiously, “Do you guys really like eating veggies?”
The kids, unable to afford meat dishes, stayed silent.
