The Tianyou Emperor carefully recalled that since the first regression, the duration seemed to be around a quarter of an hour each time.
Recently, it appeared the duration had extended slightly.
The regression time had always been determined by that child's whims, so what controlled the length of these regressions?
The best approach would be to summon the child for detailed questioning.
But the child feared him, and he couldn't resort to torture. Moreover, he absolutely couldn't casually reveal his weakness to a four-year-old child—who knew if the child might accidentally let it slip someday, allowing rebels to exploit this vulnerability.
The Tianyou Emperor rubbed his temples, had the memorials cleared away, and retired to his bed.
The next day at the yin hour (3-5 am), he rose early for court.
At his slightest movement, Li Jieyu, who shared his bed, awoke immediately.
Li Jieyu hurriedly got up to help him dress. The Tianyou Emperor said gently, "Beloved Consort, you worked hard last night. Rest now."
A young eunuch promptly stepped forward, taking the dragon boots from Li Jieyu's hands to put them on the Emperor.
Li Jieyu froze: Worked hard last night?
She carefully recalled the previous night… only remembering they had lain down together, and then nothing else happened.
Her entire body only felt neck pain.
She wasn't an inexperienced maiden who had never attended the bedchamber—something felt wrong everywhere. Yet she couldn't openly ask about it; falling asleep mysteriously during bed attendance would clearly indicate inadequate service.
Not daring to respond, Li Jieyu waited until the Tianyou Emperor left before Ban Xia entered to attend her. She then asked, "Did you hear any movements outside last night?"
Ban Xia shook her head blankly: "No. Chief Steward Feng instructed us maids not to approach the main bedroom. I only saw from afar that the lights in the room remained on for a long time."
Li Jieyu asked again, "Did His Majesty call for water during the night?"
Ban Xia shook her head: "No."
Li Jieyu's mood grew heavier: Could it be that His Majesty never actually… with her last night?
Full of worry, she got up. After seeing Zhao Yan off, she received another reward from His Majesty.
This time the rewards included pearl hairpins, fabrics, and some flowers and plants. Not long after the Emperor's people left, the Empress's attendants arrived, saying she was summoned for conversation.
Having received rewards and imperial favor, Li Jieyu naturally needed to express gratitude at the Empress's quarters.
This time, having fully learned from her previous overly ostentatious mistake, she dressed with exceptional modesty. Despite this, when she appeared before the consorts, she still caught everyone's eye.
This Li Jieyu, though long out of favor, remained dazzlingly beautiful.
His Majesty, having not visited the inner palace for so long, had favored her exclusively.
Could it be that this mother and son from Jingfu Pavilion were truly about to reverse their fortunes?
After looking at her, everyone's gaze unconsciously shifted to Wen Guifei.
Wen Guifei merely felt contemptuous: This world has no shortage of beauties—what was there to fear from a fool with neither family background nor brains?
The Empress summoning her now was merely to annoy her.
If she made a fuss, wouldn't she just give that bitch Empress free entertainment?
Wen Guifei swept a calm glance around the room, and the others quickly averted their eyes, focusing attention back on Li Jieyu kneeling at the center of the main hall.
Li Jieyu bowed to Jiang Huanghou: "Your humble consort pays respects to the Empress. May the Empress enjoy boundless happiness and peace."
Jiang Huanghou smiled warmly: "Rise. Li Jieyu, you worked hard serving His Majesty last night. A seat for her."
As she spoke, young eunuchs immediately brought a chair to the very end of the row.
No sooner had Li Jieyu sat down than the Empress bestowed further rewards.
Li Jieyu grew flustered and made to rise again to express gratitude. Empress Jiang waved a hand to indicate she should remain seated, then added, "His Majesty has been working diligently lately and hasn't visited the inner palace for quite some time. Since Sister Li managed to bring His Majesty joy, you deserve a reward."
Li Jieyu felt awkward inside, unsure of how to respond.
After the morning greetings concluded, Empress Jiang detained her privately for conversation. Her first question was: "It's been a long time since you last served His Majesty, Li Jieyu. Did you experience any discomfort last night?"
Li Jieyu's expression twisted with conflict. "Everything was fine, except my neck aches somewhat."
"Neck pain?" Empress Jiang looked puzzled, then continued, "His Majesty's health has only recently improved. When attending to him, you should exercise appropriate restraint."
When rumors circulated about the Tianyou Emperor being physically frail and incapable, Li Jieyu hadn't been in the palace. After her return, naturally no one would trouble themselves to mention such matters.
Concerned for the Emperor's wellbeing, Empress Jiang felt obliged to offer some guidance.
"Health has only recently improved?" Li Jieyu instinctively sensed something unusual about this statement, though she couldn't immediately pinpoint what.
As she prepared to inquire further, Empress Jiang lightly coughed and changed the subject. "This consort is weary. If you have no other matters, Li Jieyu, you may take your leave."
Utterly bewildered, Li Jieyu departed.
Shortly after exiting Fengqi Palace, she spotted Consort Yun.
The other woman had clearly been waiting for her there intentionally.
Disinclined to even glance her way, Li Jieyu walked straight past her.
Observing her graceful figure, Consort Yun remarked with acerbic tone, "I advise you to discard those seductive tricks. His Majesty merely pities you and your son – he won't be bewitched by you again!"
Li Jieyu halted mid-step, turning to retort, "Are you seeking another confinement for reflection?"
Consort Yun rolled her eyes. "You think His Majesty confined me previously because of you?"
"Is that not the case?" Li Jieyu countered.
Consort Yun sneered, "Who do you think you are? Everyone in the palace knows His Majesty detests you!"
"Circumstances change," Li Jieyu suddenly leaned against Ban Xia, supporting her waist as she feigned weakness. "His Majesty doted on this consort immensely last night!" She chuckled meaningfully. "Ah, unlike certain individuals who receive no pity and can only bark like dogs here!"
"Who are you calling a dog!" Consort Yun fumed, stepping closer to whisper scornfully, "Keep pretending. You were moving normally just now – you never actually served His Majesty last night. Everyone knows His Majesty has been physically weak, hasn't visited the inner chambers for two full months!" It wasn't as if Li Jieyu was some miraculous cure – unlikely the Emperor would recover immediately upon her return.
Li Jieyu's face registered shock: His Majesty is incapable?
So that's why the Empress said those strange things earlier?
His Majesty must have knocked her unconscious last night.
Firmly convinced she had uncovered the truth, and determined to maintain appearances, Li Jieyu curved her lips and shot back, "It wasn't Sister Yun who attended His Majesty last night. I know better than you whether His Majesty is capable or not."
Without giving Consort Yun a chance to respond, she quickly disappeared down the palace path.
Once safely distant from Consort Yun, Li Jieyu's composure completely crumbled. She became consumed by unprecedented anxiety.
Her greatest asset was her breathtaking beauty.
If His Majesty was incapable, how could she become a favored consort?
Without becoming a favored consort, how could she support Xiao Qi?
This agitated state persisted until Zhao Yan returned from his studies. She pulled him aside and fretted, "Xiao Qi, your mother fears she cannot offer you much assistance anymore. From now on, you must rely on yourself."
Zhao Yan looked completely baffled.
Before he could understand what was happening, Li Jieyu placed a thick volume of poetry before him and declared solemnly: "Starting today, Xiao Qi will memorize one poem daily. Even setting distant goals aside, if you can outperform the Sixth Prince and Fifth Prince in the next examination, your Father Emperor will surely favor you more."
Zhao Yan made a pained expression: "Mother Consort, I haven't even finished studying the Three Character Classic yet, and I still have today's assignments…"
What had provoked Li Jieyu this time?
"Then complete today's assignments first. Review the Three Character Classic once, then recite a poem for me." She lifted Zhao Yan's small bookbag onto the table, pulled out the texts inside, and asked: "What assignments did Liu Hanlin assign? Begin them now – I'll watch from here."
Zhao Yan pressed his lips together: "Master Liu assigned three sheets of calligraphy practice, plus memorization and annotations for the first twenty lines of the Three Character Classic."
Li Jieyu: "You already know the Three Character Classic by heart. Add ten more sheets of calligraphy, and show me the annotations when finished." Then she turned to Chen Xiang: "Prepare the ink quickly. Ban Xia, take some silver and fetch more Xuan paper from the Imperial Household Department."
Ban Xia acknowledged and hurried off.
Chen Xiang promptly brought the inkstone and began grinding ink by the table. When the ink was ready, Li Jieyu immediately dipped a brush in it and pressed it into Zhao Yan's hand: "Xiao Qi, come quickly."
Zhao Yan climbed mournfully onto the wooden stool and began practicing calligraphy.
With the first stroke, Li Jieyu immediately corrected: "Wrong. Look at the copybook – the horizontal stroke needs strength. Try again."
Zhao Yan rewrote the stroke, but Li Meiren immediately said: "Still incorrect. No strength in the stroke." She grasped his hand and guided him through two strokes.
After an hour of this, Zhao Yan's hand ached unbearably.
He pressed his lips together and set down the brush.
Li Jieyu looked puzzled: "Why have you stopped?"
Zhao Yan lifted his small head pitifully: "Mother Consort, my hand hurts. May I rest before continuing?"
Li Jieyu spoke with profound concern: "Xiao Qi, my strictness is for your own good. Be good – just a few more sheets will suffice."
Zhao Yan's eyes instantly reddened.
Chen Xiang watched uncomfortably and suggested: "Jieyu, perhaps you should rest first? This servant can supervise the Seventh Prince's calligraphy practice."
Li Jieyu waved her hand: "Unnecessary. I'll accompany Xiao Qi personally."
This accompaniment continued until dusk approached. When Li Jieyu had matters to attend to, she instructed Chen Xiang to oversee Zhao Yan's recitation.
The moment Li Jieyu departed, Zhao Yan deflated like a leaky balloon, dropping his head onto the books.
Ban Xia arrived carrying a food box and placed a plate of pastries before him. Chen Xiang coaxed: "Seventh Prince, perhaps have some pastries first? You can resume recitation later."
Zhao Yan nodded listlessly and stuffed a pastry into his mouth.
Seizing the opportunity, Chen Xiang pulled Ban Xia behind the screen and whispered: "What happened during your outing with Jieyu today? Why does she seem so provoked?"
Ban Xia equally hushed, recounted the daytime events and Consort Yun's remarks, then added: "When I went to fetch Xuan paper from the Imperial Household Department earlier, I made some inquiries. Xiaocui from Liuyun Pavilion said His Majesty previously sent our prince out for blessings because of… impotence."
Chen Xiang gasped: "No wonder Jieyu acted strangely after His Majesty's departure this morning, even asking me if His Majesty had called for water last night."
Ban Xia worried: "Sister Chen Xiang, if His Majesty is impotent… does this mean our mistress has no hope of regaining favor?"
A noise came from behind the screen, and Chen Xiang immediately shushed Ban Xia before stepping out from behind it.
Behind the screen, Zhao Yan was holding a small plate and asked quietly, "Sister Chen Xiang, is there any more pastry?"
Chen Xiang looked at Zhao Yan cautiously and asked, "Your Highness, the Seventh Prince, didn't hear anything just now, did you?"
Zhao Yan looked puzzled. "What?"
Chen Xiang quickly shook her head. "It's nothing." As she spoke, she took the plate from Zhao Yan's hand. "Your Highness, please wait. This servant will go to the Imperial Kitchen to fetch more pastries for you."
Zhao Yan nodded obediently, then toddled back to the wooden table on his short legs.
He had actually overheard every word Sister Chen Xiang and Sister Ban Xia had said earlier.
No wonder Li Jieyu had been saying such strange things since his return. So it was because Father Emperor was… incapable, and so Li Jieyu had pinned all her hopes on him and started pushing him relentlessly!
How could his cheap father be incapable?
He looked tall, strong, and robust—turned out he was all bark and no bite.
If his cheap father remained incapable, wouldn't Li Jieyu keep her eyes fixed on him forever?
Zhao Yan began to worry and barely slept all night. He tossed and turned, pulling the covers on and off, making the shadow guard outside the window utterly exasperated.
The next morning, miraculously, he woke up on his own without Li Jieyu having to call him.
Li Jieyu was quite pleased and said, "My son is so sensible, knowing he must strive to improve. Although your father emperor has allowed you to go to the Imperial Study half an hour later, Xiao Qi, you must still wake up early to study during that half-hour."
Zhao Yan thought: Just kill me now.
He was forced by Li Jieyu to study for half an hour, then appeared at the Imperial Study with dark circles under his eyes. Carrying his small book bag, he drifted into the classroom like a ghost, unlike his usual cautious self.
The Crown Prince and the Second Prince both turned to look at him, but he was completely unaware, continuing to walk listlessly.
A small hand blocked his path.
Zhao Yan walked past without even looking.
The Fifth Prince's hand was pushed aside, and he frowned, looking at Zhao Yan with a fierce expression. "Tanghulu is not tasty at all!"
Zhao Yan didn't hear him at all. He walked straight to his seat, sat down, placed his small book bag on the table, and slumped over without moving.
The Fifth Prince, annoyed, bumped his small body against Zhao Yan's desk several times.
Zhao Yan didn't react, but the Sixth Prince beside him looked up and glared at the Fifth Prince, uttering just two words: "Bed-wetter…"
The Fifth Prince immediately quieted down, pouting resentfully as he straightened his small frame.
The Sixth Prince snorted, then leaned his head close to Zhao Yan's and whispered, "Xiao Qi, what's wrong with you?"
Zhao Yan lifted his head, then dropped it again, his small face scrunching up like a bun. For a moment, he couldn't quite figure out how to describe his problem.
The more he acted like this, the more curious the Sixth Prince became. He leaned even closer, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Zhao Yan. "Xiao Qi, are you troubled by something? Tell your Sixth Brother, and I'm sure I can help you."
Zhao Yan scratched his head and lifted his head again. "It's just… that… Father Emperor…"
"Father Emperor?" the Sixth Prince asked, confused. "What about Father Emperor?"
Zhao Yan struggled to get the words out. "Father Emperor… isn't very capable."
The Sixth Prince didn't understand. "What do you mean, not very capable?"
Zhao Yan really didn't know how to explain it. Finally, he blurted out, "Father Emperor's little birdie seems unable to stand up."
"What! Father Emperor's little birdie can't stand up?" The Sixth Prince's eyes widened in disbelief. "Father Emperor's little birdie can't stand up? Did you see it last night?"
Zhao Yan shook his head: "Sister Ban Xia heard it from Consort Yun. Consort Yun said everyone in the palace knows about it."
"How come I didn't know?" The Sixth Prince felt deeply frustrated. As the palace's know-it-all, he had actually missed such important news.
The Sixth Prince remained somewhat depressed, and this gloom persisted until the afternoon horsemanship and archery class.
While everyone was attentively listening to Master Wu's instruction, he quietly sidled up to the Fifth Prince, nudged his arm, and whispered: "Fifth Brother, is it true what your mother said about Father Emperor's little birdie not being able to stand up?"
The Fifth Prince made a confused sound, furrowing his small brows as he asked: "What did you say? Speak louder?"
After the Sixth Prince repeated his question twice, the Fifth Prince still couldn't hear him clearly.
The Sixth Prince cupped his hands like a megaphone and shouted loudly: "Your mother said Father Emperor's little birdie can't stand up – is that true?"
This time not only the Fifth Prince heard, but even the Crown Prince and others all heard it clearly.
The Fifth Prince stared blankly for a moment, then frowned: "You're talking nonsense. If the little birdie can't stand up, wouldn't that mean he can't pee?"
"I'm definitely not talking nonsense," the Sixth Prince said unhappily. "Go ask your mother! It was your mother who said it!"
The Fifth Prince stammered: "Then… then why didn't my mother tell me?"
The Sixth Prince said with an air of worldly wisdom: "Adult matters are never told to children."
The Fifth Prince shifted from doubt to beginning to believe.
The Sixth Prince pressed further: "Hasn't Father Emperor visited your mother's place for a long time? He hasn't visited my mother either. It must be because his little birdie can't stand up, and he's too embarrassed to come."
The Fifth Prince made a last-ditch argument: "But… but Father Emperor has been visiting Xiao Qi's mother."
The Sixth Prince: "Didn't you see how upset Xiao Qi was just now? He even asked me where the Imperial Hospital is, wanting to find an Imperial Physician to treat Father Emperor's birdie."
At this point, the Fifth Prince became completely convinced.
The Crown Prince, Second Prince, Third Prince, and Fourth Prince all thought about it and realized it seemed true – Father Emperor hadn't visited their mothers for a long time either.
But hadn't Father Emperor recovered his health before allowing Xiao Qi to return to the palace?
How could his health have deteriorated again?
Distracted by this matter, none of them could focus on the lesson, instead pondering the truth of this situation.
The Crown Prince, worried about the Tianyou Emperor's health, drew his bow and fired an arrow that didn't even hit the target. As he put down his bow, he turned and saw the Tianyou Emperor standing behind him with a stern expression.
"Fa-Father Emperor!" The Crown Prince was startled, stammering even as he spoke.
The other princes all lowered their heads, remaining completely silent.
The Tianyou Emperor frowned and scolded: "Crown Prince, you are both the eldest legitimate son and the heir apparent. You should set an example. If you get distracted like this on the battlefield, you'll only give the enemy an opportunity!"
The ashamed Crown Prince lowered his head: "Father Emperor's reprimand is justified."
The Tianyou Emperor then scanned the archery range and said to the Second Prince and others: "You should focus when practicing archery. Where are you all aiming?"
The Second Prince and others simultaneously glanced at his crotch, then quickly averted their eyes.
The Tianyou Emperor felt that something was off, but couldn't pinpoint what exactly.
He sat down on the viewing platform and said coldly: "Crown Prince, Second, Third – you will continue shooting at targets. None of you may return today until you've hit the bullseye ten times."
"Fifth, Sixth – you will watch from the side. Later you will demonstrate your bow drawing for me. If you can't draw to full draw, you won't return to the palace either."
The Fifth Prince's face immediately fell, and he glared resentfully at the Sixth Prince: It's all your fault, why did you have to talk about birdies and such?
The Fourth Prince remained exceptionally composed. While the Crown Prince and others began drawing their bows to shoot arrows, he stepped forward to pour a cup of tea and handed it to the Tianyou Emperor.
The Tianyou Emperor casually accepted it and drank it in one gulp.
As soon as the cup was set down, the Fourth Prince immediately refilled it and handed it back to the Tianyou Emperor.
The Tianyou Emperor was already furious, and coupled with the Second and Third Princes' utterly abysmal archery skills, he unconsciously finished the entire pot of water.
The Fourth Prince shook the empty pot and began whistling intermittently while standing nearby.
The whistling was disjointed and extremely unpleasant to the ear.
The Tianyou Emperor turned to look at him, frowning as he asked, "Why are you whistling instead of drawing your bow?"
The Fourth Prince replied with remarkable calm, "Father Emperor, Little Fifth can only draw his bow when he whistles."
The Tianyou Emperor stared at the Fifth Prince: What kind of strange quirk is this?
The Fifth Prince's face flushed red, but he dared not deny it.
After about half an hour, the Tianyou Emperor felt slightly uncomfortable and stood up to head toward the restroom.
For the convenience of the princes, the horsemanship and archery field had a separate restroom. Having grown up on the grasslands, the Tianyou Emperor was not particularly fastidious about such matters.
When urgency struck, he could make do.
As soon as he left, Feng Zongguan immediately led his attendants to follow him.
The Fourth Prince set down his bow and arrows, took a detour, and also headed toward the restroom.
Seeing him leave, the Fifth and Sixth Princes exchanged glances and ran off as well.
The Second Prince put down his bow and called out to the Crown Prince, gesturing for him to look in the direction the three had gone. Only then did the Crown Prince notice the movements of the younger three. He immediately set down his bow and shouted, "Little Fifth, Little Sixth, come back!"
The horsemanship and archery field was too large, and with the wind against them, the Fifth and Sixth Princes didn't hear him at all.
The Second Prince gazed into the distance and murmured, "The Fourth Brother is truly bold. Father Emperor is definitely going to beat him!"
The Crown Prince frowned, handed his bow and arrows to the Third Prince, and strode off to chase after them.
The Third Prince, holding two sets of bows and arrows, also wanted to follow. The Second Prince glanced at him and said coolly, "Do you want to get beaten too?"
The Third Prince looked at him, pursed his lips, and asked, "Second Brother, did you deliberately make the Crown Prince go after Little Sixth and the others?"
The Second Prince retorted discontentedly, "What do you mean 'deliberately'? The Crown Prince is the one who likes to meddle in others' business!" Little Fifth and Little Sixth were foolish too—why would they join the Fourth Prince in causing trouble?
Two minutes later, a furious roar came from the direction of the restroom.
The Third Prince shuddered and, without another thought, ran toward the restroom clutching the two bows. The Second Prince set down his bow, picked up his hand warmer again, and followed at a leisurely pace.
Outside the restroom, guards had rounded up the three princes in one spot.
The Tianyou Emperor emerged with a dark expression, glaring at the three little troublemakers before turning his gaze to the Crown Prince and demanding sternly, "Explain yourselves. What is wrong with you?"
He never could have imagined that one day, while relieving himself, he would be spied on by a bunch of little rascals peeking over the wall!
The Crown Prince hurriedly explained, "Father Emperor, the younger brothers were just concerned about your health!"
"Concerned about my health?" the Tianyou Emperor roared. "What is wrong with my health?"
The Fifth Prince trembled in fear, unable to hold back a loud wail as he cried out, "Waaah! Little Sixth said Father Emperor's pee-pee can't stand up anymore. I was worried Father Emperor couldn't pee, so I peeked!"
What pee-pee?
For a moment, the Tianyou Emperor didn't grasp what he meant.
Feng Zongguan coughed lightly and glanced downward toward the Tianyou Emperor's crotch.
Following his gaze, the Tianyou Emperor instantly understood what Little Fifth was referring to.
The Tianyou Emperor erupted in fury, "Preposterous!"
Sixth Prince trembled, shuffling like a quail behind Fifth Prince, muttering softly, "Father Emperor's… thing just now really didn't stand up…" He had seen it clearly.
Tianyou Emperor: Anyone would have trouble peeing if they saw three shiny heads peeking over the wall!
The Tianyou Emperor took a deep breath and demanded, "Who told you this?"
The Sixth Prince mumbled incoherently without answering.
The Tianyou Emperor repeated, "I ask you once more—who told you this?"
The Sixth Prince still refused to speak.
The Tianyou Emperor then turned his gaze to the Fifth Prince, who burst into loud sobs and cried, "It was Xiao Qi! Xiao Qi told Sixth Brother! He even said he wanted to go to the Imperial Hospital to find an Imperial Physician to check Father Emperor's… pee-pee."
"You're lying!" the Sixth Prince hastily retorted. "It was Consort Yun who said it! Xiao Qi said Sister Ban Xia heard it from Consort Yun! Consort Yun said everyone in the palace knows about it."
The Fifth Prince angrily shot back, "My mother never said that—you did! You said Father Emperor hasn't visited my mother or your mother, so it must be because his pee-pee can't stand up—how shameful!"
The Sixth Prince insisted, "No, it wasn't me! It was Consort Yun who said it!"
The Fifth Prince abruptly stopped crying, scrambled to his feet, and pointed at the Sixth Prince. "It was you, you, you! Fourth Brother and Crown Prince both heard it! You said Father Emperor's pee-pee can't stand up!"
The Fifth Prince then turned to the Crown Prince. "Crown Prince, you heard it too, didn't you?"
The Crown Prince glanced sideways at the Tianyou Emperor's dark expression and dared not respond.
Seeing this, the Fifth Prince resumed quarreling with the Sixth Prince.
The children's speech grew increasingly muddled in their agitation, and soon all that could be heard was "pee-pee, pee-pee" repeated over and over.
Feng Zongguan and the guards kept their heads lowered, wishing they were deaf and blind, completely unaware of anything.
The wind howled outside, and the Tianyou Emperor felt utterly foolish for having stood outside the privy, listening to the two brats argue back and forth eight times, with endless chatter about "pee-pee."
"Enough!" the Tianyou Emperor roared.
The Fifth and Sixth Princes immediately fell silent, belatedly realizing the gravity of the situation.
The Tianyou Emperor's face darkened. "Feng Lu, bring the Seventh Prince to the Imperial Study!"
That child—causing trouble and then running off, even daring to mess with the timeline.
He really wanted to ask that boy where on earth he had heard such talk!