Looking at the exquisite pastry, a wave of shock and suspicion surged through Yan Zhiyu’s heart, accompanied by a trace of panic he hadn’t even noticed himself. Yet, on the surface, he didn’t show a single fraction of it, merely saying indifferently, “Does this Emperor lack this single bite of food for you?”
“Naturally not,” Ling Lie smiled. “But this is a secret recipe from a pastry shop in the city. The palace definitely doesn’t have it, so occasionally tasting something fresh is quite good.”
Yan Zhiyu pressed his lips together slightly, his fingers hidden inside his sleeves unable to help curling inward.
It wasn’t his imagination. This person really was too much like Ling Lie, right down to the exact same tone when coaxing him to eat.
He had been a picky eater since childhood, and coupled with his family watching him closely, his diet was extremely particular. Most things would not easily cross his lips.
Yet Ling Lie had always complained that his food was too bland, frequently hunting down things he used to refuse to eat and bringing them to him. When Yan Zhiyu was unwilling to eat, Ling Lie would claim it was just for a fresh taste. When Yan Zhiyu remained reluctant and threw a minor tantrum, Ling Lie would coax him into eating a great deal, even causing him to upset his stomach once due to overeating, which earned him a severe lecture from the family elders.
“No need.” After thinking it over, Yan Zhiyu still refused.
Hearing this, Ling Lie wasn’t discouraged. Instead, he shifted his strategy toward his son and cast a meaningful look at him.
Although he occupied a different body, his silly son didn’t sense anything amiss at all. The boy immediately caught on, reached out to wrap his arms around Yan Zhiyu’s neck, and coaxed him in a soft, childish voice, “Father, Axue wants to eat.”
Yan Zhiyu’s brows furrowed. “I will have the imperial kitchens make some for you later.”
“No! I want to eat this right now!” Little Xiunuo puffed out his chubby little face, his two eyebrows wrinkling together, making him look just like a snow-white meat bun.
Yan Zhiyu felt somewhat helpless, but he simply couldn’t muster any temper in front of his son. The solemn dignity he had just been putting on instantly melted away as he coaxed, “No throwing tantrums.”
“I want to eat this!” Little Xiunuo still looked aggrieved and stubborn. Wrapping his arms around Yan Zhiyu’s neck, he buried his entire face against Yan Zhiyu’s shoulder and mumbled into the fabric, “Imperial Father agreed too!”
Unintentional words strike deep into the listener’s heart. Those few words pierced straight into Yan Zhiyu’s sore spot, making his eye sockets turn red in an instant.
In the past, whenever his son wanted to eat something and he refused, the boy would bring up his imperial father. Then, the doting imperial father would put in a good word, always managing to coax Yan Zhiyu into nodding.
Now, there was no one left to coax his son, and no one left to coax him.
Realizing what he had done a beat too late, Ling Lie felt his intestines twist with regret. He hurriedly said, “If the Empress Dowager doesn’t want to eat, then never mind.”
“Leave them,” Yan Zhiyu finally relented. “Xu Jinbao, take them.” With that, he flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.
Xu Jinbao acknowledged the order, respectfully accepted the pastries from Ling Lie’s hands, and hurried a few steps to catch up.
Little Xiunuo peeked out from over Yan Zhiyu’s shoulder and flashed a triumphant smile at Ling Lie, leaving the latter half-amused and half-exasperated. Yet, feeling somewhat eased at heart, Ling Lie turned around and left the grand hall.
Even though permission was granted to keep the pastries, they still had to undergo a poison test. By the time the four pieces of pastry were finally delivered into Yan Zhiyu’s hands, they were no longer whole. He simply took a dagger and sliced them into bite-sized portions, sharing them with his son piece by piece, one for him and one for the child.
The taste matched his memories down to the absolute fraction. It must have come from the exact same shop.
If these pastries truly were made from a secret recipe, they should be quite famous in the capital. It wouldn’t be strange for the Regent to know of them, but was this a coincidence? Or was it…
Before he could finish his train of thought, most of the pastries on the plate had already been eaten by his son. Yan Zhiyu promptly intercepted the child’s hand as it reached out for more, frowning as he scolded, “Eat this much, and you will bloat yourself sick in a moment.”
“No I won’t! Axue’s tummy is this big!” Little Xiunuo declared, swinging his arms out in a wide circle. “No matter how much comes, it can all fit inside!”
Yan Zhiyu was amused despite himself, reaching out to pinch the child’s cheek. “Who was it just the day before yesterday that ate too many pastries, got bloated and couldn’t sleep, and threw a tantrum demanding I massage his belly?”
Hearing this, Little Xiunuo tilted his head, blinking his eyes innocently as he looked up. “Who is Father talking about?”
Yan Zhiyu’s eyes curved even more. He leaned over to kiss the child’s cheek and whispered softly, “It is a good thing you are still here. Otherwise, I truly would not know what to do.” His voice grew somewhat desolate as he continued, “I had agreed with your imperial father to stay together until old age. With things as they are now, I do not even know whether to consider him the one who broke his promise, or myself.”
Little Xiunuo didn’t quite understand his words, but sensing his unhappiness, the boy immediately puckered his lips and leaned over to plant a kiss on Yan Zhiyu’s cheek.
This was also something his imperial father had taught him: whenever Father was unhappy, a kiss would make it all better.
“Such a little rascal.” Yan Zhiyu looked helplessly at the little fellow. Looking at those facial features that so closely resembled the child’s imperial father, and recalling how this boy used to hug Ling Dong and call him imperial father, his mood grew complicated. “Axue, Father will ask you a question.”
Little Xiunuo nodded obediently. “Is Father going to test Axue’s lessons?”
Yan Zhiyu shook his head, weighing his words carefully. “What Father means is…” Yan Zhiyu hesitated. He truly didn’t know how to explain such a complex matter to a child. After pondering for a moment, he used a somewhat mystical analogy. “If a bad monster were to disguise itself as Imperial Father, would Axue be able to recognize it?”
Little Xiunuo tilted his head in thought, then nodded heavily. “I can! Imperial Father is Axue’s Imperial Father! Axue would recognize him!”
Looking at the child’s solemn, confident expression, Yan Zhiyu couldn’t help laughing. He wanted to point out how a boy who had hugged his imperial uncle and called him father could say such things, but hesitation stopped him just as the words reached his lips. Did the child really not harbor even the slightest shred of doubt?
Pity that Changyang County was too far away. Otherwise, at least he could… could what?
Yan Zhiyu experienced a momentary blankness of mind.
He must have been missing Ling Lie to the point of madness to let such impractical, wild notions float through his thoughts.
Just as he prepared to tease his son a little more, Xu Jinbao suddenly rushed inside, lowering his voice to report. “Empress Dowager, Third General Yan has arrived and says she needs to return home for a moment.”
Yan Zhiyu frowned. “Third Sister? What happened?”
“She says the Grand Tutor has suffered a fall,” Xu Jinbao replied.
Yan Zhiyu bolted upright in an instant. “Grandfather is injured? I will return with you.”
Without waiting for Xu Jinbao to say anything further, he scooped up his child and hurried outside.
Yan Zhishuang was waiting outside the hall. Seeing him come out, she couldn’t help frowning and reprimanded him in a low voice, “What are you doing here? Go back!”
Yan Zhiyu shook his head. “I am coming with you to check on him.”
Yan Zhishuang disapproved. “If you leave, what will happen to the palace? Several imperial princes are still in the capital right now, and nobody knows what the Regent’s intentions are. If you just walk away like this, what will you do if they take advantage of the vacuum?”
Hearing this, Yan Zhiyu hesitated for a fraction of a second, but a resolute gleam quickly resurfaced in his eyes. “I am just going to take a look. Let us go.”
Without waiting for Yan Zhishuang to try and persuade him further, he brushed past her and walked directly outward.
Knowing her younger brother’s stubborn temperament, Yan Zhishuang said no more. She waved her attendants close, gave a few brief instructions, and led a retinue out of the palace alongside him.
The Grand Tutor’s residence was not far from the imperial palace. When the two of them arrived, they happened to run into other visitors coming to offer their regards. Seeing the others preparing to bow, Yan Zhiyu tossed out a brief no need for formalities and strode straight into the estate.
The person who had originally tutored the Crown Prince was the top scholar from the Xuanzong era. Although highly learned, he proved to be a fickle reed swaying with the wind, immediately establishing ties with the imperial princes as soon as Ling Lie departed. Yan Zhiyu had promptly driven him out and invited Yu Xiuxian, the Grand Tutor who had originally educated Ling Lie, to continue instructing his son.
Yu Xiuxian was already well past seventy years of age and was Yan Zhiyu’s maternal grandfather. Having educated three successive emperors, he had intended to retire home and enjoy his twilight years in peace after Ling Lie’s ascension, never planning to wade into these murky waters again. However, out of deep affection for his maternal grandson, he had ultimately agreed to step in.
Yan Zhiyu had originally planned to find a replacement once the court stabilized, never expecting an accident to occur after only a few days of teaching.
Walking hurriedly into the bedchamber, the first thing Yan Zhiyu saw was a figure seated beside the bed. Yu Xiuxian was leaning back against the pillows with a frown, talking to that person. Yan Zhiyu’s expression sank instantly. “Grandfather, instead of resting properly, who are you…” Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the person turn around, and his expression altered abruptly. “Ling Dong?! What are you doing here!”
His tone was far too aggressive. Both people in the room froze for a moment. After a few seconds, Yu Xiuxian recovered, realizing the younger man had likely misunderstood something. Just as he wanted to offer some words of comfort, a low chuckle beat him to it.
It was Ling Lie’s first time seeing Yan Zhiyu like this. The entire person looked like a little cat with its fur bristling in anger, yet so wonderfully adorable that warmth and indulgence filled Ling Lie’s eyes and brows. “The Empress Dowager must not misunderstand. It is purely a coincidence that I came to see the Grand Tutor.”
Yu Xiuxian nodded as well. “I went out for a stroll this morning, failed to watch my step, and slipped into a puddle. It was just an accident.”
Hearing this, Yan Zhiyu visibly relaxed all over, yet he still stood there with tightened lips, unable to completely hide the grievance swirling in his eyes as a wave of heat stung his eyelids.
Barely had Ling Lie left the imperial palace when one crisis after another erupted. Yan Zhiyu had wanted to tackle them one by one, but the issues seemed endless. If not for his grandfather assisting him by his side through all these days, he feared he would have collapsed long ago. Now that his grandfather was injured, he didn’t know who else he could rely on in the future, nor who he dared to trust. Heaven seemed to be working against him, warning him that he had no business ruling from behind the curtain as Empress Dowager, or else this imperial realm would sooner or later crash down in his hands.
Seeing this, Ling Lie’s smile vanished instantly. He could largely guess what Yan Zhiyu was thinking, and his eyes filled with a deep, aching tenderness.
His very first priority after leaving the imperial palace had been to head straight to the Grand Tutor’s residence, hoping to use the Grand Tutor as an entry point to build a proper relationship with Yan Zhiyu.
Yan Zhiyu enjoyed immense renown in the capital, but due to his temperament, he kept very few people close. He preferred sticking close to his family, especially the Grand Tutor who had instructed him in his studies since childhood.
Ling Lie had figured that once he won the Grand Tutor’s trust and had the older man put in a good word, his Empress’s guard would naturally drop, making it much easier to prove his true identity. As for how to win over the Grand Tutor, he was already an old hand at it. He simply hadn’t expected to arrive and immediately hear that the Grand Tutor had taken a fall, turning a formal visit into a house call. Fortunately, the outcome hadn’t changed much, even though it had inexplicably provoked his Empress once again.
Suppressing a quiet sigh inwardly, Ling Lie offered a soothing reassurance. “The imperial physician has already been by and stated there is no serious harm. The Empress Dowager need not worry.”
“I… This Emperor knows!” Yan Zhiyu shot a sharp glare at Ling Lie, took his son’s hand, and sat down on the edge of the bed.
Little Xiunuo immediately scrambled onto the bed, looked at Yu Xiuxian, and blew gently toward the injury. “Hoo, hoo! The ouchies fly away!”
Yan Zhiyu laughed in spite of himself, reaching out to pull the child back and stroke his hair. “You are learning all these tricks from your imperial father all day long. Great-grandfather needs to rest properly. Be a good boy, Axue, and go play outside.”
Hearing this, Little Xiunuo looked at Ling Lie. Seeing no objection from him, the boy climbed down from the bed and trotted happily away on his short little legs.
Only then did Yan Zhiyu turn his gaze back to the old man on the bed. Looking at the full head of gray hair on the elder who was forcing a smile just to comfort him, a sharp ache bloomed in the bridge of his nose. He whispered softly, “Grandfather, I…” But the rest of the words caught in his throat.
Yu Xiuxian’s fall hadn’t been severe, but due to his advanced age, the injury felt heavier than it was. Seeing the aggrieved look on Yan Zhiyu’s face made the old man’s heart ache until it twitched. “Grandfather is fine. A few days of rest will mend it. It is just Your Majesty…”
“You need not worry about Axue. Healing properly is what matters most.” Yan Zhiyu lowered his gaze, his tone carrying a touch of bitterness while his expression remained tightly masked of emotion.
Watching from the side, Ling Lie felt his heart ache fiercely as well. He longed to pull the young man into his arms and offer comfort, but with an uncrossed chasm lying between them, he could only pull out a handkerchief with a pitiful expression and offer it across.
Yan Zhiyu glanced at the handkerchief, remembered the man coughing into his hand earlier, hesitated, and refused to take it, a look of outright disdain flashing in his eyes.
Ling Lie was amused by his small expression. Retracting the handkerchief, he reached out to pat Yan Zhiyu’s back, pulling his hand back at lightning speed before Yan Zhiyu could glare at him again, and turned his attention to Yu Xiuxian instead. “The Grand Tutor was speaking of the Empress Dowager just now.”
The fierce glare Yan Zhiyu had been aiming at him froze mid-air, instantly deflating.
Not noticing the younger man’s shifting emotions, Yu Xiuxian nodded. “With me unable to attend court for some time, the Regent will have to shoulder a heavier burden.”
Hearing this, Yan Zhiyu felt somewhat displeased. “Grandfather, I can handle things well. Do not worry.”
However, Yu Xiuxian shook his head. “Xiaoyu, no single person can accomplish great things entirely alone.”
Yan Zhiyu frowned at the words. A memory flashed through his mind, the night Ling Lie died.
That evening, just as he had dismissed the ministers, the commander of the Golden Feather Guards had surrounded Fengyi Palace with troops. That commander was a trusted subordinate left behind by Ling Lie and served as the palace’s final line of defense. Yan Zhiyu had never imagined that the blades of the Golden Feather Guards would one day be turned against him. A sharp blade rested against his neck while a familiar voice demanded, in a chillingly cruel tone, that he write a blank imperial edict. They even dispatched men toward the Crown Prince’s bedchamber, threatening to take the prince’s life if he refused to comply. He had been truly terrified that night.
Even though his elder sister had rescued him later, it still failed to banish the nightmares that haunted every subsequent night.
Right now, aside from his family, he trusted no one, nor did he dare let anyone approach his son casually.
Yet, his grandfather’s words were not wrong either. As the Empress Dowager currently governing, he needed to appoint capable people and put them in the right positions rather than treating everyone around him like a thief.
Sensing the emotional shift with acute sensitivity, Ling Lie immediately softened his tone to reassure him. “I will help him. Grandfather can rest easy entrusting him to me.”
It was a very simple sentence, but those earnest eyes reminded Yan Zhiyu of what Ling Lie had said to his family back when he proposed marriage.
“I will take good care of him. You can rest easy handing him over to me.”
Yan Zhiyu still remembered vividly how Ling Lie had looked when he spoke those words. The man’s handsome face lacked its usual teasing smile, replaced by a look of deep sincerity and solemnity, only melting into that familiar gentleness when his gaze drifted sideways to land on him.
At the thought, Yan Zhiyu felt his ears grow hot. He shot Ling Lie a half-serious, half-light reprimand of a glare, but unable to say anything in front of his grandfather, he simply dropped the words, “I am going to check on Axue,” and stood up to leave.
Before stepping out, he heard the Grand Tutor chuckle softly behind him, remarking that the boy had simply been spoiled into a bit of a temper and wasn’t truly angry.
Ling Lie laughed as well, murmuring quietly, “I know. And I am quite willing to spoil him.”
The tips of Yan Zhiyu’s ears turned completely red.