The figure Emperor Ling saw was hidden among a patch of aquatic grass.
He stood still, staring at the little figure for several seconds before suddenly stepping forward.
Each step felt as if he were walking on clouds.
When he got closer, he looked down and saw a small, wet child.
The little one’s body wasn’t bloated from being soaked in water, nor was it pale like in his nightmares.
He was still small, half of his little body covered in mud, his wet little face with tightly shut eyes, and some dirt smeared on his cheek.
Emperor Ling knelt down and, as if in a dream, gently picked up the little one.
The familiar weight in his arms snapped him back to reality.
He turned around and shouted to Noble Consort Yi, “Yi Er! Little Seven is here!”
Not far away, Noble Consort Yi’s expression changed as she rushed over.
Emperor Ling had found the little prince.
At a time when everyone had lost hope, he brought the little prince back. Though the child wasn’t frighteningly swollen or stiff, his whole body was icy cold, soft yet frigid.
Emperor Ling checked for his breath, but there was none.
Still, after searching for three days, neither Emperor Ling nor Noble Consort Yi believed the little prince was gone. They brought him back to the palace and summoned the imperial physicians to save him.
On the way to the palace, the physicians were already apprehensive.
When they arrived and saw the prince, dressed in new clothes but still unconscious, the lead physician felt a sinking feeling in his heart.
It was the worst-case scenario.
The emperor and consort couldn’t accept the Seventh Prince’s death and were now asking the physicians to bring him back to life.
Trembling, the physician approached to examine him. And just as he feared, the situation was as bad as he thought.
“Your Highness, the little prince—”
The physician was about to speak the truth, but when he looked up and saw Emperor Ling’s grim expression, he shivered and swallowed his words.
“Your Highness, I need to return to the Imperial Medical Institute to consult ancient texts and confirm the little prince’s current condition.”
He changed his statement, and seeing Emperor Ling’s face soften slightly, he knew it had worked.
Emperor Ling waved him away.
Every physician from the Imperial Medical Institute examined the little prince. Though he had no breath, his body wasn’t stiff or cold, as if there were still signs of life.
The physicians didn’t dare say the prince was beyond saving, so they gave vague answers, suggesting more time was needed to observe his condition.
Emperor Ling, besides summoning the imperial physicians, also called for healers from among the common people.
In Chengming Palace, Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi stood vigil by the bedside. By this time, they had begun talking again.
“A perpetual lamp has been lit for Little Seven at Wanan Temple, five million more silver has been added to the disaster relief fund, and taxes have been reduced by another 20%.”
Emperor Ling spoke softly, “The Murong family has continued to set up shelters and serve porridge. With all these actions, surely the heavens will be moved by our sincerity and protect Little Seven.”
Noble Consort Yi, with her tear-filled eyes, had seen everything Emperor Ling had done.
Clutching the little prince’s hands, she nodded after a long pause. “Little Seven will surely wake up.”
The news that the Seventh Prince had been found spread quickly through the court.
Several ministers, hearing the news, requested an audience with Emperor Ling.
They knew the prince had been brought back to the palace but didn’t know his exact condition, so they cautiously addressed Emperor Ling, “Your Majesty, the prince has returned, but General Kou has died in prison. The Qi Dynasty is very displeased and demands an explanation for his death.”
These ministers were in charge of relations with Great Qi and relayed Great Qi’s sentiments.
A general of theirs had died, and with the marriage proposal rejected, they now wanted compensation.
In their eyes, the prince had returned, but their general had died, so compensation was expected.
“Tell them to get out. Get out of the capital.”
Emperor Ling had been guarding over his unconscious child for a day and a night without rest. Now, hearing Great Qi’s envoy speak, especially with every mention of “death,” felt like they were asking for trouble in front of a furious Emperor.
“Expel all the Great Qi people from the palace. Send a letter to Great Qing, informing them that Great Qi tried to forcefully marry our general, which we did not allow. In their fury, they harmed my young son. Now, Great Qi’s envoy Kou Chong has committed suicide, yet Great Qi still dares to demand compensation.”
One had to admit, Emperor Ling knew how to craft a letter. In this one, he made it clear that Great Qi had acted like bandits, while his own kingdom, Qi Dynasty, appeared innocent and wronged.
It was clear that Emperor Ling had given up on maintaining good relations with Great Qi.
After he finished speaking, his subordinates exchanged uneasy glances, but they braced themselves and followed his orders, expelling all of Great Qi’s envoys from the palace.
As they were driven out, the envoys furiously vowed that Qi Dynasty would pay for this, but Qi Dynasty paid them no mind.
After Great Qi’s people were gone, Emperor Ling and Noble Consort Yi noticed that the bruises on their young son’s body gradually began to fade. Although the child had not yet regained consciousness, this sign filled both the Emperor and the consort with immense joy. They believed that their recent actions must have had an effect.
In the palace gardens, Ling Yi approached Shui Shui, puzzled. “Since Little Seven’s return, why haven’t you gone to treat him?”
“Emperor Ling forbade me,” Shui Shui replied, crouching as he tended to his herbs.
Ling Yi found this unusual. “Since when do you listen so obediently? Especially regarding Little Seven’s situation, this doesn’t seem like you.”
Shui Shui remained silent as Ling Yi tried to guess his reasoning. Finally, Ling Yi asked bluntly, “Shui Shui, just tell me—will Little Seven wake up?”
Shui Shui looked up at him, seeing the concern in his eyes, and nodded. Ling Yi felt a bit relieved at this.
“Good, you nodded. That’s enough for me.”
While the Emperor and Noble Consort Yi didn’t seem to trust Shui Shui, Ling Yi had complete faith in him. He had been secretly taking medicines Shui Shui prepared for him, believing that without them, he might not still be alive.
“Shui Shui, do I have any medicine to take today?”
“No,” Shui Shui replied, still focused on his herbs. Ling Yi accepted this calmly and didn’t leave, finding peace in the medicinal aroma of Shui Shui’s garden.
Meanwhile, the eldest and fourth princes had already visited their younger brother several times, with the sixth prince, Ling Fu, also coming frequently.
Time passed slowly.
Just when Emperor Ling was preparing for another grand ritual to pray for his son’s recovery, they noticed that the child’s body temperature had returned. His small chest rose and fell, and a faint heartbeat could be heard.
“Yi Er, Little Seven’s heartbeat has returned.”
Emperor Ling’s voice softened as if afraid that speaking too loudly would disturb the precious rhythm. Noble Consort Yi rushed over to listen, and upon hearing the faint but clear heartbeat, she nearly wept with joy.
“Yes, it’s his heartbeat. Little Seven’s heart is beating again.”
After so many days of watching over his son, the Emperor finally saw signs of improvement, and his spirits lifted. Now in a better mood, he began attending to matters of the state again, sending several letters to Great Qing and summoning Murong Xu for an audience.
Murong Xu had recently made a commotion by nearly storming the prison with a sword, though the eldest prince had managed to stop him before things got too far. Emperor Ling, upon seeing Murong Xu, didn’t seem to mind this incident. He told him, “Little Seven is getting better and should wake up soon. You don’t need to worry too much.”
Murong Xu felt a weight lift from his chest at these words.
Emperor Ling had called him not only to ask about the situation at the border but also to comfort him about Murong Xue.
The marriage arrangement was completely called off this time, and the Emperor, naturally, had to offer extra comfort to Murong Xue and Murong Xu.
As they talked, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Emperor Ling looked at Murong Xu and smiled. “You’re even older than Chen Er now, so it’s time for you to settle down. Is there any girl you have in mind? I could grant you a marriage.”
Murong Xu had initially used his own marriage as an excuse to disrupt his sister’s engagement. Now that the topic was brought up, he appeared a bit embarrassed and shook his head. “I have no one in mind, Your Majesty.”
He declined the offer, mentioning that his mother was already making arrangements for him back home, but that it all depended on fate.
After their conversation, the two went to visit the young prince together. Murong Xu hadn’t seen the child in a long time and couldn’t take his eyes off him.
Seeing this, the Emperor invited him to stay for dinner in the palace.
That night, after Murong Xu had left, Noble Consort Yi stayed in Chengming Hall as she had been doing for the past few days, sleeping beside their child. She gently bathed him with water brought by a servant. As she washed him, her lips slowly pressed into a thin line.
Emperor Ling noticed her expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Noble Consort Yi handed him their son’s hand and said, “Little Seven has lost weight.”
The once chubby little hand had grown noticeably thinner. If he continued like this, even his round face would soon disappear.
In recent days, while the little prince remained unconscious, they had been feeding him some soup. However, feeding him soup wasn’t the same as a proper meal. The little prince couldn’t get enough nutrition, so it was only natural that he lost some weight.
Emperor Ling also touched his small hand, his brow furrowing tightly.
“It’s okay. Once he wakes up, we’ll make sure to nourish him well, and he’ll gain the weight back.”
“Yes,” Noble Consort Yi agreed.
After tidying up the little prince, the two of them laid down to sleep.
In the middle of the night, the little prince’s chubby feet twitched, and then his small body rolled over. Having not eaten for days and only drinking soup, the little prince, hungry, laid on his stomach, pressing against his belly to ease the hunger.
He was both hungry and sleepy, moving restlessly on the bed.
Some time passed, and Emperor Ling felt something heavy pressing down on him, like a weight on his body. Not only that, but he felt a tugging sensation on his arm, as if something was biting it.
Yet, despite the weight, Emperor Ling felt a strange sense of peace.
He slept through the night like that, and the next morning, before even opening his eyes, he felt something pressing against his face. He reached out instinctively and grabbed a small chubby foot that had kicked his face.
Emperor Ling: “…”
His brain was still a bit sluggish.
He stared at the little foot, his gaze slowly following it up, until he saw the little prince with his small butt in the air, gnawing on a toy near the wall. The little prince had always liked to keep his toys there, and Emperor Ling had never moved them.
The little prince was biting the toy, drooling as he did so.
For a moment, Emperor Ling thought he was seeing things.
“Yi Er, Yi Er,” he called to Noble Consort Yi, who quickly woke up and saw the little prince lying on the bed.
She sat up, equally in disbelief.
“Little Seven?”
She called softly, glancing at Emperor Ling. The two of them shared a look, from initial disbelief to finally realizing what was happening after a long moment.
When they came to their senses, Emperor Ling immediately grabbed the little prince’s chubby foot and pulled him over.
“Little Seven, Little Seven, wake up.”
He shook the little prince, nudging his small hands until the little one woke up.
The little prince had been dreaming about eating a chicken leg, but before he could finish, he was rudely awakened.
Being woken up so abruptly, the little prince’s mouth quivered, and he began to cry.
“Hungry,” he wailed. “My tummy’s hungry.”
Emperor Ling: “…”
Noble Consort Yi: “…”
The two adults didn’t have time for emotional moments and quickly got up to call the imperial kitchen for breakfast. “Prepare something easy to digest. Little Seven needs to eat.”
Upon receiving the news, the kitchen prepared the food carefully.
While they waited, Noble Consort Yi held the little prince in her arms, hugging him tightly.
The little prince nestled into her, eyes still brimming with tears, and he reached up to wipe the corners of her eyes.
Emperor Ling watched the two of them and went to fetch some clothes for them to change into.
The little prince stayed in Noble Consort Yi’s arms for a while before stretching out his hands toward Emperor Ling, asking to be held.
Emperor Ling picked him up, holding him as they waited for the imperial doctor to arrive.
The doctors arrived before the food did, and upon seeing the little prince sitting on the Emperor’s lap, they were shocked.
They each took turns carefully examining the little prince.
“Your Majesty, aside from some nutritional deficiencies, the young prince is otherwise healthy. With some proper care, he should recover fully.”
The doctors even attributed the prince’s recovery to Emperor Ling, claiming that his recent actions had moved the heavens, which was why the little prince had awakened.
Emperor Ling actually believed them and rewarded the imperial doctors handsomely.
The little prince, sitting on Emperor Ling’s lap, listened quietly, looking down at his chubby feet, not getting involved in their conversation.
After the doctors left, breakfast was served.
The meal wasn’t extravagant, but it was nutritious, with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables. The flavors were mild and easy on the stomach.
The little prince, having been hungry for so long, wasn’t picky. He held his little bowl and finished a bowl of rice, then raised it up, asking for more. “A little more, please! More for me!”
Noble Consort Yi, not wanting him to eat too much at once, felt his little belly and took his bowl away.
“We’ll eat more later.”
She wiped his little face and set him down on the ground to walk around.
Though the little prince still wanted more food, after having his mouth wiped and being placed on the floor, he obediently toddled around on his short legs.
Emperor Ling held his hand and took him for a walk in the garden.
“Daddy, why don’t you ask what happened to make me fall into the water?” the little prince asked.
“I already know,” Emperor Ling replied, squeezing his little hand. “You didn’t like Kou Chong being your uncle, and he wasn’t happy about it, so he pushed you in.”
The little one: “…”
That was exactly what he had thought!
Emperor Ling didn’t want to dwell on the past, so he changed the subject.
“Little Seven, he won’t be your uncle now.”
Emperor Ling didn’t mention Kou Chong’s death, only that the people of Great Qi had left.
Knowing Great Qi’s people were gone, the little prince felt at ease.
As the two walked through the garden, they ran into Consorts De and Shu, who both bowed to Emperor Ling.
They bowed to Emperor Ling, but since Little Seven was a child, he was supposed to bow to them. However, Emperor Ling held onto Little Seven and didn’t let him bow.
Seeing this, Little Seven waved his little hand and greeted them.
“Little Seven looks a bit thinner. He needs to be nourished well,” Consort Shu said, looking him over.
Little Seven nodded, indicating that he would eat more.
After chatting for a while, Emperor Ling continued walking with the child, hand in hand.
As they watched the pair walk away, Consort De frowned slightly but said nothing. It was Consort Shu who leaned in and whispered softly to her, “Sister… haven’t you noticed by now?”
“Emperor Ling has been reducing taxes, organizing disaster relief, and even lit the eternal lantern for Little Seven. Do you think he would be so attentive if it were any other prince?”
“Neither the eldest prince nor our Fourth Prince were spared from serious injuries, but did the Emperor ever do such things for them?”
Consort Shu’s words pierced Consort De like a thorn.
She wasn’t wrong. Both the eldest prince and the Fourth Prince had been at death’s door before, but the Emperor had never prayed for them.
Consort De remained silent.
Consort Shu, having made her point, said no more.
Meanwhile, similar whispers reached the ears of the Empress, who was reciting scriptures in a small room.
This time, Emperor Ling’s actions were too public. His efforts loudly broadcasted to the court and the people that, among all the princes, it was the Seventh Prince he favored most.
When an emperor shows such obvious favoritism, both the officials and the common people start to think, speculate, and wonder just how far he would go for the Seventh Prince.
These concerns of the adults, however, were far beyond the understanding of Little Seven.
Tired from walking, he plopped down onto Emperor Ling’s foot and stretched out his arms, asking to be carried.
Emperor Ling had intended for him to walk a little more, but seeing his little hands raised, he couldn’t resist and picked him up.
“You lazy little one, after sleeping for so many days, you’re already tired from just a short walk?”
“The little one’s tired,” Little Seven said, hugging Emperor Ling’s neck and snuggling against his face, not wanting to be put down.
All day, Little Seven stayed by Emperor Ling’s side.
Noble Consort Yi knew that the Emperor was taking care of Little Seven, so she used this opportunity to invite Madam Murong to the palace.
Looking back, it seemed the Murong family had been saved entirely thanks to Little Seven.
Madam Murong, who had been through a lot of emotional stress lately—from Murong Xue’s marriage, to Little Seven’s disappearance, to Murong Xu fainting—finally showed a smile when she held Noble Consort Yi’s hand. “Yi Er, I think Little Seven is our family’s lucky star.”
Without Little Seven, they wouldn’t have been able to resolve the crisis.
Hearing Madam Murong’s words, Noble Consort Yi suddenly felt a chill in her heart.
It was only now that she realized—things had been too coincidental.
Little Seven’s fall into the water was too timely, and his return equally so. His disappearance and reappearance had resolved the Murong family’s troubles completely.
Noble Consort Yi’s face darkened slightly as these thoughts crossed her mind.
After chatting with Madam Murong for a while longer, Noble Consort Yi asked Ji Yan, “Is Little Seven still at the Chengming Palace?”
“Your Highness, the young prince seems to have gone to the Imperial Study with His Majesty.”
“I see.”
Pressing her fingers to her temple, Noble Consort Yi waited in the palace for the little one after seeing Madam Murong off.
Meanwhile, the little one was busy pleading with Emperor Ling to see his uncle.
“The little one hasn’t seen Uncle for so long!” the little one sat on the floor of the Imperial Study, hugging Emperor Ling’s leg, his little face tilted up as he begged.
“Who said you haven’t seen your uncle in a long time?” Emperor Ling asked.
“Your uncle came to see you while you were unconscious.”
The little one: “…”
The little one shook his head vigorously. “That doesn’t count! The little one didn’t open his eyes, so I didn’t see Uncle!”
He continued pleading earnestly.
Though Emperor Ling wasn’t opposed to letting him see his uncle, after the scare he had experienced in recent days, he decided to make the little one plead a little longer.
After a while, the little one grew tired and laid down on the floor for a mid-session break.
Emperor Ling crouched down and pinched his little cheek. “Tired of pleading?”
The little one’s cheeks were flushed from the effort. “The little one will plead more later!”
They stayed in the study together, and after a brief rest, the little one got up and resumed his pleading. Eventually, his persistence paid off, and Emperor Ling agreed to let him visit his uncle the next day.
Thrilled, the little one stopped his pleading, tucked away his tiny fists, and happily headed back to find Noble Consort Yi in the palace.
Even though Emperor Ling had allowed the little one to visit his uncle the next day, Murong Xu couldn’t wait upon hearing that the little one had awakened.
Murong Xu was with the eldest prince at that moment. It was late, so he couldn’t go to Fenghua Palace to see his sister, the consort, but instead, he sought out Ling Chen.
“Why don’t you bring Little Seven over here for the night?”
“You’re his eldest brother. It wouldn’t be unusual for you to have him stay over.”
Murong Xu kept pestering Ling Chen to bring the child over.
Ling Chen looked at him with an expression of resignation. “It’s so late. Do you think Noble Consort Yi would let me take Little Seven away?”
Growing up in the palace, Ling Chen understood the relationships within the harem quite well. He knew that Noble Consort Yi did not get along with his mother.
When he went to pick up Little Seven, Noble Consort Yi probably wouldn’t be too pleased to see him.
Hearing this, Murong Xu simply sat down in front of him and started acting unreasonable. “Out of all the princes in the harem, I’m closest with you. If you don’t help me fetch Little Seven, I’m not leaving today.”
Since he didn’t have much interaction with the Fourth Prince, he couldn’t go to him for help.
Ling Chen looked at him, genuinely speechless.
“Murong Xu, do you even realize that my mother and Noble Consort Yi don’t get along very well?”
Ling Chen didn’t want to mention this, but at this point, he had no choice. He thought once Murong Xu understood, he’d recognize the awkwardness of the situation and give up on the idea of fetching Little Seven.
But to his surprise, Murong Xu just nodded.
“I know that,” Murong Xu said, nodding. “Your mother and my sister don’t get along, but we’re pretty close, aren’t we? What’s the harm in you helping me pick up Little Seven?”
As he spoke, Murong Xu hurried him along, “Alright, enough with the excuses. Go and fetch Little Seven already.”
Realizing he sounded too rude, Murong Xu laughed and, mimicking his precious little nephew’s style, added, “Please, eldest prince!”
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