Unaware of what Tangtang was thinking, Emperor Mingde asked in a deep voice, “Is your name Tangtang?”
Tangtang nodded. “That’s right, Master gave me this name!”
Could Imperial Grandfather be getting so old that his memory was failing him?
Thinking this, Tangtang felt a bit worried and gently patted the back of Emperor Mingde’s hand. “Imperial Grandfather, Tangtang is me, and I am Tangtang!”
Before she could even pull her tiny hand back, Tangtang was astonished to find that the few strands of golden light above Imperial Grandfather’s head had actually grown a little thicker!
The little girl stayed silent for a moment, then suddenly used both hands and feet to scramble into Emperor Mingde’s lap, nuzzling against his chest.
Emperor Mingde stiffened completely, looking at the little pink dumpling in his arms in utter disbelief.
Among all his grandchildren, Tangtang was the only one who dared to be so close and affectionate with him.
Emperor Mingde’s heart warmed, and his tone was no longer as stern as before. “Were you the one who saved your father?”
Hearing this, Tangtang straightened her back proudly. “Back then, Tangtang was making a wish for a father, and then Father went *splat* and fell right out of the sky, breaking a huge hole in the Taoist temple’s roof!”
Mm~ Back then, she really should have wished for Master to make Father land right inside the room without smashing the roof!
Emperor Mingde’s eyes flickered slightly, and he asked as if offhandedly, “Was there anyone else around when your father fell?”
Tangtang counted on her little fingers as she replied, “There was Master, Yaya, and Tangtang… three of us in total!”
“Yaya?” Emperor Mingde swept a glance at Gu Yanzhao.
Didn’t this unfilial son say there were only two people in the Taoist temple?
Where on earth did this Yaya come from?
“That’s right, Imperial Grandfather! Yaya is a super pretty little crow~ Not only can he fly, but he’s super smart too—just a tiny bit dumber than Tangtang!” As Tangtang spoke, she gestured with her little fingers: “Just this tiny bit dumber~”
Yup! That’s right! Tangtang is the smartest kid of all!
Realizing that he had been overly guarded, a rare look of embarrassment flitted across Emperor Mingde’s eyes.
So it was just a little crow… He thought…
“You aren’t afraid of me?” Emperor Mingde let out a light cough, changing the subject.
Tangtang’s little head was filled with big questions. “Imperial Grandfather is Father’s father, and Tangtang’s beloved elder. Why would I be afraid?”
Not only was Imperial Grandfather not scary at all, but he was also very nice to her. Tangtang liked Imperial Grandfather a lot!
The little girl’s words actually made him, the Emperor, feel a touch of the genuine warmth shared between a grandfather and grandchild in an ordinary family.
Emperor Mingde let out a sigh, his fondness for Tangtang growing even stronger.
Seeing Imperial Grandfather go silent, Tangtang tugged at his sleeve and spoke nervously, “Imperial Grandfather, why aren’t you talking? Did Tangtang make you unhappy?”
Seeing the little girl in his arms hang her head, the stern look on Emperor Mingde’s face cracked into a gentle smile. “Imperial Grandfather was just thinking… Ah, never mind. How about Imperial Grandfather bestows upon you the title of Commandery Princess Kangle?”
This little girl was obedient, considerate, and pure-hearted. Her life had been hard in the past, so from now on, she should be a healthy, joyful little girl!
Perplexed, Tangtang looked over at Gu Yanzhao nearby. “Father?”
Commandery Princess Kangle? Was Imperial Grandfather trying to change her name? Was Commandery Princess Tangtang not okay?
Gu Yanzhao had originally thought he would have to waste a great deal of breath today to convince his imperial father to give Tangtang the title of Commandery Princess. He had even made up his mind that if his imperial father refused, he would cast all shame aside and kneel outside the Imperial Study indefinitely.
He never expected that after only a few words between his father and Tangtang, his father would grant her the title of Commandery Princess Kangle…
Kangle… good health and joy for a lifetime. It seemed his father truly doted on Tangtang as well.
“A Commandery Princess is a high-ranking official! Not only do you get to receive copper coins, but you can also come visit your Imperial Grandfather often!”
The moment Gu Yanzhao finished speaking, Tangtang’s big eyes lit up.
A high-ranking official!
In the future, when she went out to cry at funerals for people, wouldn’t she be able to ask for twenty copper coins all by herself?!
If she cried at ten houses a day, wouldn’t she make a massive fortune?!
At the thought of this, Tangtang couldn’t help covering her mouth and giggling to herself.
“Thank you, Imperial Grandfather!” Tangtang’s eyes curved into sweet crescents. “Now that Tangtang is a high-ranking official, does Father get to be an official too? Can Father’s rank be just a teeny-tiny bit bigger than Tangtang’s?”
She hadn’t forgotten the black mist oozing from Father’s wounds, Mother being used as the eye of an array, and her sickly, frail brothers.
If both she and Father became high-ranking officials, they could protect their family and beat all the bad guys away!
Even after receiving a reward, she was still thinking of her father. Truly a worthy granddaughter! Emperor Mingde liked Tangtang even more now.
“Your father is already a high-ranking official right now, only a tiny bit lower than me!” Emperor Mingde chuckled.
Tangtang’s eyes went wide in utter disbelief.
Father is already a high-ranking official?!
Then why were there still bad guys picking on Father, Mother, and the others?
Tangtang’s small eyebrows knitted into a tight knot, completely baffled.
After a long moment, she shook her head and clenched her little fists tight. With Tangtang around from now on, bad guys could forget about picking on Father and Mother!
“Imperial Grandfather, now that Tangtang is an official, does that mean I have to protect the common people and catch bad guys?” The little girl looked deadly serious.
She had heard the uncles and aunts back in town say that the county magistrate was a high-ranking official who specifically protected the common folk and led people to catch bad guys every day.
Now that Tangtang was a high-ranking official too, she wanted to catch bad guys as well. But she was only one person—what if she couldn’t catch the bad guys? Would Imperial Grandfather get mad and stop letting her be an official?
Looking down at her tiny arms and legs, Tangtang felt rather worried.
If only she could instantly grow tall with a *swoosh*!
Seeing her alternate between frowning and sighing, Emperor Mingde found it thoroughly entertaining.
He reached out and lightly flicked one of Tangtang’s little hair buns before saying in a deep voice, “Of course! Not only must you protect the people and catch bad guys, but you must also study hard and learn many words!”
Tangtang nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry, Imperial Grandfather! Tangtang will definitely learn lots of words and catch super, super many bad guys!”
Emperor Mingde burst into laughter, thoroughly amused by Tangtang’s solemn and earnest demeanor.
Standing outside, Wang Zhong had a look of deep gratification. The little Commandery Princess was truly endearing and sensible—His Majesty hadn’t been this happy in a very long time.
Wiping the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, he thought to himself: *In the future, the little Commandery Princess must come to the palace often to keep His Majesty company…*
On the way to Fengyi Palace, Tangtang bounced and skipped along beside Gu Yanzhao, humming an out-of-tune little melody.
“Father, Tangtang is so happy today! Imperial Grandfather is so nice to Tangtang! Tangtang wants to come visit Imperial Grandfather often!” The little girl’s eyes curved merrily. “Is Imperial Grandmother’s house almost here?”
Father was so handsome, so Imperial Grandmother must be super pretty too!
The little girl suddenly stopped in her tracks, reached into her grey pouch, and rummaged around before pulling out a mountain ginseng with all its rootlets completely intact.
Father had said that Imperial Grandmother always felt dizzy, so this mountain ginseng would be perfect to nourish her body.
Gu Yanzhao had seen Tangtang’s extraordinary abilities before, so seeing her pull mountain ginseng out of that tiny pouch didn’t surprise him at all.
Even so, he still instructed her with a solemn face, “In the future, aside from paper talismans, you are not allowed to pull other things out at random in front of others. Do you understand?”
Though Tangtang didn’t quite understand why, she obediently nodded and agreed.
Father must have his reasons for saying so, and Tangtang was a good, obedient child!
Back in the Imperial Study, ever since Tangtang and Gu Yanzhao had left, Emperor Mingde felt that his body no longer felt as heavy as before.
He stood up and paced back and forth across the room. When Wang Zhong entered to serve tea, he noticed that Emperor Mingde’s complexion looked much healthier, and he couldn’t help exclaiming in pleasant surprise, “Your Majesty, you… your face has so much color now! Could it be…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Emperor Mingde himself noticed that something was off.
In the past, walking just a few steps would make him cough and spit up blood. Just now, he had walked nearly a hundred steps, yet not only had he not spit up a single drop of blood, but he wasn’t even breathing heavily!