Tianyou Emperor: I, a despicable person?
The first meeting between father and son concluded with Zhao Yan's earth-shattering cries.
The Tianyou Emperor, his head throbbing from the incessant wailing, had no choice but to order the child sent back.
The child feared him, and using the emperor's authority yielded no clues whatsoever.
Leaving the side hall, the emperor strode directly out of the Imperial Study. Seated in the imperial palanquin, he propped his head in his hand, lost in thought.
Feng Zongguan stole several glances, noting the emperor's persistently furrowed brow. Tentatively, he ventured, "Your Majesty, do not be angered. The Seventh Prince is still young, and this is his first time meeting you. It is only natural for him to be afraid…"
The Tianyou Emperor closed his eyes: he had lost his composure.
That sip of tea remained undrunk.
Passing by the Yanbo Pavilion, he signaled for the palanquin to halt and ordered a full pot of tea brought to the third floor.
Pot after pot of tea was served as he gazed down upon the entire Imperial Garden, remaining silent throughout.
Feng Zongguan, uncertain of his thoughts, dared not ask or speak further, standing quietly in attendance.
Two hours passed in this manner. By noon, Feng Zongguan softly inquired if the midday meal should be served. The Tianyou Emperor gave no response, continuing to drink his tea.
Finally, at half-past one in the afternoon, a maid appeared from the direction of the Imperial Study, leading a child carrying a small bookbag. The child, short-limbed and waddling as he walked, was too distant to see clearly but appeared utterly adorable.
The Tianyou Emperor finally stirred, beckoning Feng Zongguan closer. Feng leaned in attentively.
The emperor commanded, "Seal off the entire Imperial Garden. No one is to approach for two hours. You personally divert the maid attending the Seventh Prince."
Feng Zongguan acknowledged the order and hurried downstairs.
The Tianyou Emperor then turned to the guards beside him, randomly pointing at one. "Remove your outer robe and give it to me."
Without hesitation, the guard immediately shed his outer garment.
The emperor then changed out of his dragon robes into the guard's uniform, covered his face, and vanished from the pavilion.
In mere moments, the Imperial Garden fell into complete silence. The maids and eunuchs who had been sweeping nearby had disappeared.
Chen Xiang, puzzled, halted and glanced around.
Noticing her stop, Zhao Yan tilted his little head up and asked, "Sister Chen Xiang, what's wrong?"
Zhao Yan swiveled his head, but being too short, his view was blocked by flowers and plants—he could see nothing.
No different from usual!
Scratching his head, he turned and spotted Feng Zongguan approaching swiftly with a guard in tow.
Startled, Zhao Yan tugged at Chen Xiang, wanting to leave: Had his cheap Father Emperor only now realized he should summon him?
However, Feng Zongguan paid him no mind, instead pointing at Chen Xiang and saying, "Which palace are you from? Come quickly and assist."
Naturally, Chen Xiang recognized Eunuch Feng. She hurriedly bowed and hesitantly replied, "Eunuch Feng, the Seventh Prince…"
Feng Zongguan looked down, as if noticing Zhao Yan for the first time. Bowing slightly, he smiled and said, "His Majesty is ahead, and we are short of attendants. The Seventh Prince may accompany us if he wishes."
Terrified, Zhao Yan shook his head repeatedly, whispering, "I miss my mother. I want to go back."
Eunuch Feng thought to himself: His Majesty's foresight is impeccable—the Seventh Prince indeed refuses to go.
Seeing Zhao Yan's refusal, he turned back to Chen Xiang. "Since the Seventh Prince will not go, you come with me. The guard beside His Majesty will escort the Seventh Prince back to Jingfu Pavilion."
Pointing at the guard beside him, he ordered, "You, take the Seventh Prince back to Jingfu Pavilion first."
The guard nodded and approached.
Chen Xiang looked at the masked guard. Though somewhat doubtful, she dared not disobey the imperial command. After handing Zhao Yan over to the guard, she followed Feng Zongguan and left, leaving only the veiled guard and Zhao Yan staring at each other.
Zhao Yan tilted his head to look at him, thinking he was very tall, sturdy, and somewhat familiar, yet couldn't recall where he'd seen him before.
In his childish voice, he asked, "Why are you covering your face?"
The guard lowered his voice and gently explained, "This humble servant has injuries on his face and fears startling the Seventh Prince…"
Zhao Yan: "I'm not afraid. Can you take off the veil and show me?"
The guard frowned but made no move, then reached out to take his hand.
Zhao Yan immediately grew wary, tucking his small hands behind his back.
The masked guard patiently asked, "Won't the Seventh Prince return to Jingfu Pavilion?"
Zhao Yan shook his head: "I'll go back by myself."
The masked guard: "Does the Seventh Prince know the way?" Jingfu Pavilion was remote—a child barely five years old would hardly find his way back.
Even if he could Revert to a previous save, it would be difficult.
He reached out again to take the child's hand. Adhering to the principle of never going with strangers, Zhao Yan dodged once more, shaking his head and refusing to move.
The two stood at an impasse for a moment.
Finally, the masked guard relented, squatting before him with a hint of impatience: "What will it take for the Seventh Prince to agree to go?"
Zhao Yan blinked twice, then suddenly grabbed the veil and yanked it hard, revealing a face bruised and swollen from a fall.
He stumbled back two steps, his small body nearly tumbling into the flowerbed behind him.
Tianyou Emperor, caught off guard by the sudden removal of his veil, darkened for a moment but still reached out to steady him.
Once Zhao Yan regained his footing, he stammered, "S-sorry…" Guiltily, he returned the veil and chose to Revert to a previous save.
The next second, Tianyou Emperor was squatting before the child again, the veil still properly covering his face.
Tianyou Emperor sighed inwardly: This child is quite cautious.
He continued asking: "What will it take for the Seventh Prince to come with this humble servant?"
No sooner had he spoken than the child threw himself into his arms, whispering: "Tired. Carry me."
Tianyou Emperor was momentarily stunned. Having spent years on battlefields, this was the first time he held such a soft, delicate child. Even the Crown Prince, whom he always valued, had been formal and restrained in his presence since childhood, never daring to overstep.
The little one wrapped his arms around his neck, showing complete trust.
Tianyou Emperor carried the child toward Jingfu Pavilion.
After a short while, the child whispered, "Are you a guard from Father Emperor's side? What's your name?"
Tianyou Emperor fabricated casually: "Bai Jiu."
Zhao Yan: "Jiu Jiu, why are you covering your face?"
Tianyou Emperor: "Injuries on my face." This child—he'd just seen it and was asking again.
Zhao Yan asked further: "How were you injured?"
Tianyou Emperor: "Someone attempted to assassinate His Majesty earlier, and I was kicked by the assassin!" The guard Bai Jiu by his side had indeed been injured by an assassin, though the kick had landed squarely on his lower abdomen, and he was still recovering.
This wasn't exactly lying to a child, was it?
Yet instead of inquiring about his Father Emperor, the child softly asked, "That must have hurt a lot. Sister Chen Xiang says getting hit in the face with a shoehorn hurts the most."
After he said this, Tianyou Emperor truly felt the injured part of his face begin to ache. Suppressing the urge to toss the little culprit in his arms away, he asked, "Why would Miss Chen Xiang tell the Seventh Prince such things? Is she teaching the Seventh Prince how to hit people?"
At the thought of this possibility, he grew furious: these people were all corrupting his son one by one.
Zhao Yan shook his head: "No, someone bullied Sister Ban Xia and slapped her face until it swelled up."
The Tianyou Emperor knew about this matter: it referred to Consort Yun deliberately picking a fight and striking the palace maid serving Li Meiren, didn't it?
The shadow guard hadn't mentioned using a shoehorn to slap her face, though.
This Consort Yun was truly too unreasonable—she started the provocation herself and then spouted nonsense in front of Little Fifth. It seemed the previous punishment had been too lenient.
The Tianyou Emperor asked again: "Then, has anyone bullied the Seventh Prince?"
Zhao Yan, recalling his past life, nodded decisively: "Yes, many people bullied me. They said I had no father, so they bullied me. They didn't give me food, cut up my clothes, and threw small stones at me."
The Tianyou Emperor frowned: "Who were they?"
Zhao Yan shook his head: "I've forgotten them all. I'm stupid and have a poor memory."
The Tianyou Emperor thought: Truly foolish, not even remembering who bullied him.
Along the way, the child chattered incessantly, completely devoid of the fear he had shown earlier in the Imperial Study.
As they approached the entrance of Jingfu Pavilion, the Tianyou Emperor finally set him down. Once steady on his feet, the child rummaged through his small book bag and pulled out a porcelain bottle, thrusting it into his hand. His dark, pure eyes looked up at him: "This is for you. If you apply this, your face won't hurt anymore."
That porcelain bottle was the very one he had previously bestowed upon the child.
The Tianyou Emperor was slightly surprised: "For me?" This jade complexion ointment was precious—and he was giving it to a 'guard'?
Zhao Yan nodded: "Mm, you're my first friend in the palace. I'm giving this to you." Besides, he didn’t really want to use it anymore.
"Friend?" In this lifetime, the Tianyou Emperor had been seen as an enemy, a comrade-in-arms, but never as a friend.
He found this notion quite novel.
It would be impolite to receive without giving in return; he couldn't just accept a child's kindness without reciprocation. So, he fished a whistle from his sleeve and handed it over: "Your Highness, take this. If anything happens, blow it, and this humble guard will appear to assist you."
So, try not to revert to a previous save unless absolutely necessary.
Zhao Yan took the whistle, his eyes sparkling as he asked: "Can I use it for anything?"
The Tianyou Emperor nodded, thinking to himself: What trouble could a mere child possibly get into?
Zhao Yan was delighted and carefully stored the whistle away.
The Tianyou Emperor casually inquired: "Then, as your friend, does Your Highness have any little secrets you could share with me?"
Zhao Yan: "Yes…"
The Tianyou Emperor felt a flicker of anticipation: Indeed, children were so easy to coax into talking.
Just as Zhao Yan was about to speak, the door of Jingfu Pavilion opened, and Li Meiren called out, "Xiao Qi!"
Zhao Yan immediately dashed toward Li Meiren.
The Tianyou Emperor's brow furrowed tightly, and with astonishing agility, he vaulted onto the high wall at the corner.
Li Meiren reached out to smooth Zhao Yan's tousled hair and asked, puzzled: "Xiao Qi, are you alone? Where's Chen Xiang?"
"Not alone." Zhao Yan turned around, but there was no one behind him.
He made a sound of surprise and scratched his head: "Where did he go?"
Li Meiren also peered behind him: "What person?"
Zhao Yan explained in his childish voice: "After class, Sister Chen Xiang was called away by Feng Zongguan to help, so Jiu Jiu brought me back."
"What uncle?" Li Meiren was utterly confused.
Zhao Yan: "The guard by Father Emperor's side! The one wearing a mask. He's very, very nice."
Li Meiren scoffed: "What decent person would trick a child into calling him uncle? Xiao Qi, don’t be deceived by some vile scoundrel!"
The Tianyou Emperor, who had been about to leap down from the high wall, slipped and nearly tumbled off.
How could he, the Son of Heaven, the mighty eagle of the Western Path, the Emperor of Great Chu, be considered despicable?
Though the beauty was fair, her tongue was truly vile!