Although the Dragon King of the East Sea had stated his purpose, Nezha still did not make way for him.
The other Heavenly Soldiers and Generals all knew that the Third Prince Nezha had some unresolved grievances with this family from the sea. As the Central Altar Marshal, he stood there refusing passage, and the other Heavenly Soldiers and Generals dared not utter a word as they stood by.
Nezha glanced at the Dragon King of the East Sea once more: "Sun Wukong? This marshal has never heard of such a demon-immortal in the demon realm."
The Dragon King of the East Sea grew somewhat impatient: "It’s pointless explaining to you. This king must present a memorial to His Majesty."
Nezha was even more impatient than him: "Step aside."
He then waved his hand, summoning a nearby heavenly soldier, and instructed: "Go to Tongming Hall and report the situation to Celestial Master Zhang."
"Yes."
The heavenly soldier accepted the order. Although the Dragon King of the East Sea was quite dissatisfied with Nezha’s strictly-by-the-book, even somewhat vindictive attitude, this was the other’s territory. With the Third Prince’s Fire-Tipped Spear planted firmly on the ground, the Dragon King of the East Sea could do nothing about it.
As the Dragon King of the East Sea anxiously waited before the Southern Heavenly Gate, Yun Heng clung to Ao Bing’s neck for a long time: "Brother Ao Bing, I’ve missed you so much."
Ao Bing laughed: "Do you really mean it?"
"Here, open your mouth, have an Immortal Elixir." Without waiting for a response, Yun Heng stuffed one into his mouth, then asked, "How is Ling’er? Has he grown up? When can he come to the Heavenly Court to keep me company?"
Ao Bing chewed the "Immortal Elixir" he had been given—fragrant, sweet, and surprisingly delicious: "I knew it—you don’t miss me, you miss Ling’er."
Yun Heng planted a loud kiss on his cheek: "I miss Ling’er, and I miss you too."
The Dragon King of the East Sea could wait no longer. He took another step forward, intending to bypass Nezha and enter the Southern Heavenly Gate directly.
Nezha swept his Fire-Tipped Spear horizontally, blocking the Dragon King of the East Sea’s path, his arrogance innate: "Do you intend to force your way through?"
His action instantly heightened the tension between the two sides. Ao Yi subtly positioned himself in front of his Father Emperor, while Ao Bing’s first instinct was to do the same, but he was holding a little one in his arms.
The little one looked at Nezha, then at the Dragon King of the East Sea, his heart naturally leaning toward the former: "Don’t give Brother Nezha a hard time. He’s on duty today, and if he makes a mistake, Heavenly King Li will scold him."
Nezha shot Ao Bing a challenging glance. Though the little one always demanded to be held upon meeting, when it came to serious matters, he still stood by his Brother Nezha.
Just as the atmosphere grew tense, hurried footsteps echoed from the steps below.
Everyone turned to look—the newcomer was none other than King Qinguang, the foremost of the Ten Kings of the Underworld.
Yun Heng had met him before and enthusiastically waved: "Hello, King Yama!"
King Qinguang cupped his hands in salute: "Greetings, Your Highness."
Nezha asked King Qinguang: "What brings King Yama here?"
King Qinguang replied: "This king has come to lodge a complaint before the Emperor."
Nezha asked: "Against whom?"
"Hu…"
"Huaguo Mountain, Water Curtain Cave, the demon-immortal Sun Wukong."
King Qinguang had barely begun when he was interrupted by a childish voice. Yun Heng, learning on the spot, mimicked the Dragon King of the East Sea’s earlier demeanor and tone perfectly.
The Heavenly Soldiers and Generals burst into laughter on the spot. Even the Dragon King of the East Sea and King Qinguang, who were in no mood for amusement, couldn’t help but chuckle.
At that moment, the heavenly soldier Nezha had sent to deliver the message returned, saying that Zhang Daoling had instructed the Dragon King of the East Sea to proceed to Tongming Hall and requested the Third Prince Nezha to grant passage.
Nezha stepped aside, allowing both King Qinguang and the Dragon King of the East Sea to pass through.
This left the Dragon King of the East Sea quite frustrated. That Nezha kid was clearly giving him a hard time on purpose. Both were here to appeal to the Heavenly Court, yet when it came to him, there were reports and notifications, and he had to wait so long. How come others could enter as soon as they arrived?
He had misunderstood Nezha, though Nezha indeed disliked this old mud-dragon. However, if he and King Qinguang had swapped their times to ascend to the Heavenly Court, he too could have entered right away.
Ao Bing set Yun Heng down and bid him farewell: "Your Highness, I must go now."
Yun Heng held his hand reluctantly: "But I just saw Brother Ao Bing."
Ao Bing patiently explained: "My brother and I must accompany our father to meet His Majesty and report on the situation in the East Sea."
Yun Heng asked again: "What situation?"
"Third Brother!" Ao Yi called out coldly to Ao Bing, signaling him not to waste time and to hurry along.
When the Dragon King of the East Sea led his eldest prince, third prince, and King Qinguang toward Tongming Hall, little Yun Heng quickly picked up his basket and followed.
He never needed anyone to announce his entry into Ling Xiao Dian. Swaggering through Tongming Hall and into Ling Xiao Dian, no Immortal or Heavenly Soldiers and Generals dared to stop him.
Today, Marshal Wang was on duty again at Tongming Hall. As Yun Heng passed by, he greeted him and casually grabbed a handful of Immortal Elixir to give him, hoping to cheer him up.
When Yun Heng entered Ling Xiao Dian, the Dragon King of the East Sea was tearfully complaining to the Jade Emperor: "Your Majesty! That Sun Wukong from Huaguo Mountain's Water Curtain Cave has wreaked havoc across the four seas' Dragon Palaces, humiliated the dragon clan, forcibly demanded weapons, injured shrimp soldiers and crab generals, and abducted turtles and alligators…"
Yun Heng was so small, and the Immortal Officials' attention was entirely on the Dragon King of the East Sea. Amidst the swirling mist, he ran all the way without any Immortal noticing.
The little one struggled to climb the long steps, even finding the basket in his hand cumbersome and simply setting it aside.
"The Dragon King of the South Sea trembled with fear; the Dragon King of the West Sea was utterly miserable; the Dragon King of the North Sea cowered in terror. I, Ao Guang, bowed low and presented the divine iron staff, the wind-chasing golden crown, cloud-treading boots, and chainmail armor, yet that monkey remained unsatisfied and threatened violence, proving exceedingly troublesome."
Yun Heng finally climbed onto the high platform, made his way to the throne, tugged at the Jade Emperor's Immortal Robe, and clambered up to sit on his lap. With his two small hands gripping the edge of the imperial desk, he peered down with a pair of dark, bright eyes.
The Dragon King of the East Sea continued: "I have come to the Heavenly Court today to beseech Your Majesty to dispatch Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to capture this demon monkey, bringing peace to the four seas and stability to the mortal realm."
Yun Heng was waving at Ao Bing when he suddenly heard the words "demon monkey." His eyes instantly lit up: "Demon monkey? Is it a little monkey?"
The Jade Emperor covered his son's mouth and turned to King Qinguang: "Immortal Minister, what brings you to Ling Xiao Dian?"
"The Netherworld is the underworld of the earth. Where there are gods in heaven, there are ghosts on earth…"
He spoke in such a refined and lengthy manner that Yun Heng couldn't understand a word. The little one yawned, nearly falling asleep, before finally hearing the key point: "Now, from Huaguo Mountain's Water Curtain Cave, there is a demon monkey named Sun Wukong, born of heaven. He flaunts his strength, commits violence, shows off his powers, injures the underworld's ghost envoys, wreaks havoc in the Netherworld, and forcibly erases names from the registers. This has caused the monkey-kind to cease reincarnation, with no life or death among them. I beseech Your Majesty to deploy divine troops to subdue this demon monkey, restore order between yin and yang, and bring eternal peace to the underworld." [Excerpt from Journey to the West]
Yun Heng understood that Qin Guang Wang, like the Dragon King of the East Sea beside him, had also been defeated by that monkey in a fight and came to seek help from his Father Emperor.
"Wow, the monkey is so powerful. Is he a mount?"
"This…"
The Dragon King of the East Sea and Qin Guang Wang exchanged glances, thinking inwardly that this little prince was indeed sheltered too well, appearing utterly innocent and naive. Treating the monkey as a mount? It would be fortunate if the monkey didn't treat them as mounts instead.
The Jade Emperor held his son with one arm while flipping through the reports with the other. The situation was exactly as described by Ao Guang and Jiang Xin (Qin Guang Wang).
The Jade Emperor pondered for a moment, then looked at the Immortal Officials and said, "Who is guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate today?"
Taibai Jinxing had just uttered, "Your Majesty," when Yun Heng learned to interrupt: "There's Nezha brother, Thousand-Mile Eye, Wind-Following Ear, and…"
"Zengzhang Tianwang," the Jade Emperor cut off the chatterbox, "you shall lead several Heavenly Generals to take shifts at the Southern Heavenly Gate. Summon Nezha, the Third Prince, Thousand-Mile Eye, and Wind-Following Ear to Ling Xiao Dian for an audience."
"I obey your command."
Zengzhang Tianwang accepted the order and departed. Shortly afterward, Nezha, Thousand-Mile Eye, and Wind-Following Ear arrived at Ling Xiao Dian.
The Jade Emperor asked Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear, "In which year was this demon monkey born, and who are its parents? How could it possess such divine powers to wreak havoc in the Dragon Palace and the underworld?"
Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear replied, "It was three hundred years ago, born from a stone egg nurtured by a divine rock on Huaguo Mountain. After absorbing the essence of the sun and moon over a long period, it transformed into a stone monkey. At that time, we did not pay much attention, but we do not know where it has learned such formidable divine powers over the years."
The Jade Emperor pondered for a moment and asked again, "Which divine general can descend to the mortal realm to subdue this demon monkey?"
Nezha stepped forward, bowing and clasping his hands, ready to volunteer. Unexpectedly, a resounding voice came from the high platform directly ahead in Ling Xiao Bao Dian: "I will go!"
The Immortal Ministers turned to look, and were greatly startled to see that on the desk before the Jade Emperor stood a milk-fed toddler less than three feet tall—who else could it be but their mischievous little prince?
The little prince stood with one hand on his waist and the other holding a bow, raising his head high, his fair and tender little face brimming with arrogance.
Even the Jade Emperor hadn't noticed when he had climbed onto the desk, and it was too late to stop him now. The little one stomped his feet: "Father Emperor, let me go. Once I defeat that monkey, he will be my mount!"
Below, the civil and military Immortal Officials lined up on both sides of Ling Xiao Dian suppressed their laughter.
The Dragon King of the East Sea and Qin Guang Wang had witnessed the little prince's "abilities," but they didn't know he was even bold enough to stir up trouble in Ling Xiao Dian. The Jade Emperor, however, did not thunderously rage, showing immense indulgence indeed.
"Prince, do not be mischievous!"
Upon hearing this familiar reprimand, Yun Heng knew what his Father Emperor would do next.
Thus, the little one swayed his body, jumping from one end of the desk to the other.
The Jade Emperor reached out to grab him by waist, but missed.
"Heng'er!"
Seeing the supreme ruler of the three realms helpless with his son was truly amusing, and eventually an Immortal Official couldn't hold back, letting out a "pfft" of laughter.
Since the prince became obsessed with alchemy, only Duo Shuai Palace and Jasper Pool suffered. The other Immortals in the Heavenly Court hadn't seen his antics for a long time.
The Jade Emperor grew angry, sweeping his wide sleeve. Yun Heng couldn't withstand his Father Emperor's pure magical power, and his small body involuntarily flew from the desk back into his Father Emperor's embrace.
The Jade Emperor gave him a pat on the bottom, conveniently casting a silencing spell on his dear son, and said sternly, "Behave yourself for me!"
All the immortal officials below saw it clearly. Though the Jade Emperor spoke harshly, he still held his son in his arms—a precious treasure he couldn't bear to let go of for even a moment.
Even an earthly emperor, blessed with a child in his old age, could hardly dote and indulge more than this.
"Ahem~" The Jade Emperor cleared his throat lightly and repeated the question from earlier: "Which divine general is willing to descend to the mortal realm and capture this demon?"
Just as Nezha was about to speak, another figure emerged from the ranks—that old fellow Taibai Jinxing.
He offered the Jade Emperor a plan: "Between heaven and earth, all birds, beasts, flowers, and trees can cultivate immortality. Since this monkey was born of heaven, earth, sun, and moon and has cultivated such divine powers, why not issue an imperial decree to recruit him, grant him immortal status, and give him an official position, big or small?"
"If the monkey performs well in the future, he can be further rewarded. If he repeatedly refuses to reform, we can capture him then! This way, we avoid mobilizing troops and also demonstrate the proper way to recruit immortals."
As soon as he finished speaking, faint applause could be heard. Who would dare act so frivolously in the Hall of Heaven? It turned out to be the Crown Prince—well, that explained it.
Though Yun Heng had been silenced by his Father Emperor and couldn't speak, it didn't hinder the little rascal's mischief in the slightest.
He thought Taibai Jinxing made perfect sense. First, lure the little monkey to the Heavenly Court; once he was there, he wouldn't be able to escape. Whether he became a mount or a pet, wouldn't it all be up to him, the Crown Prince?
Thinking this, Yun Heng was already looking forward to it. Though he was angry that his Father Emperor had cast a spell to silence him, the thought of soon having his own mount made the little one very happy.
Thus, the Crown Prince decided to be magnanimous and forgive his old father—and even give him a surprise.
The Jade Emperor also thought Taibai Jinxing's idea was excellent—time-saving, effort-saving, and without the need for a major conflict. So he agreed: "Let it be as the Immortal Minister has proposed. Convey my decree: Lord Wen Qu shall draft the edict. Hmm…"
Suddenly, a small hand reached out in front of the Jade Emperor, and while he was speaking with his mouth open, something was stuffed inside.
The little one was very happy now, so he picked the largest, roundest Immortal Elixir for his Father Emperor to take, hoping to make him happy too. Though he couldn't speak, he was shouting in his heart: "Father Emperor, take your medicine!"
His Father Emperor nearly choked on the overly sweet, massive pill but couldn't show it in front of the Immortal Officials. He could only chew it inconspicuously and swallow it down.
Yun Heng very considerately stretched out his little hand, gently patting his Father Emperor's chest to help him catch his breath.
The Immortal Officials below also noticed something was off with the Jade Emperor but didn't know what had happened. They had to suppress their curiosity and act as if nothing had occurred.
After swallowing the pill, the Jade Emperor continued with the decree: "Taibai Jinxing shall go to the Water Curtain Cave on Huaguo Mountain to recruit the monkey. Court is dismissed!"
Nezha: "…"
He had heard that the monkey possessed great divine powers. When had Nezha, the Third Prince, ever backed down from a fight? He had been eager to go and battle the stone monkey for three hundred rounds. How had Taibai Jinxing, with just a few words, turned capturing the demon into recruiting him?
He turned to look at Li Jing, unusually addressing him as "Father": "What… is going on here?"
Li Jing didn't say much, urging him: "Let's go, back to Cloud Tower Palace."
After the court assembly concluded, the Jade Emperor finally lifted the silencing spell on his son. Just as he was about to take him back to Taiwei Yuqing Palace, the little one dashed out of Ling Xiao Dian (Hall of Heaven). In a blink, his small figure vanished amidst the clouds and mist, disappearing without a trace.
The Jade Emperor sighed, thinking the little one was going to pester Nezha, and let him go.
Yun Heng chased all the way to the Southern Heavenly Gate, finally catching up just before the Dragon King of the East Sea and his family departed. He rushed forward and hugged Ao Bing's leg from behind: "Ao Bing brother, wait a moment."
He looked up and met a pair of cold eyes. The person frowned: "Prince, you've mistaken me again."
Yun Heng shuddered, quickly released his hand, and stepped back: "You… you… you must have sprung from a rock too."
Ao Yi asked: "What do you mean by that?"
Yun Heng said: "A rock from the sea—cold and icy."
This remark actually brought a hint of warmth to Ao Yi's face: "My father is right beside me."
The little one pursed his lips again: "Oh, you sprang from an eggshell, just like Ling'er."
Mentioning Ao Ling reminded Yun Heng of his purpose. So, he ran back to Ao Bing: "Ao Bing brother, squat down, I have something to tell you."
Ao Bing crouched before him, smiling as he asked: "Please speak, Prince."
The little one lunged forward, kissing him on the left cheek: "This is for you." Then he kissed him on the right cheek: "This one is for Ling'er."
Ao Bing, never kissed like this before, felt a bit embarrassed: "Alright, I will certainly deliver it to him for you."
Yun Heng then handed over the hibiscus flower basket: "Ao Bing brother, please take this back and give it to Ling'er for me."
He removed the jade pendant from his waist and handed it to Ao Bing as well: "This is also for him. When he grows up and comes to the Heavenly Court to find me, once he reaches the Southern Heavenly Gate, no heavenly soldiers and generals will stop him."
Ao Bing then understood: when they arrived, they and his father were stopped by Nezha outside the Southern Heavenly Gate, and their awkward situation had been seen by the little one. He feared that Ao Ling might someday come to find him and be treated similarly by other heavenly soldiers and generals.
Ao Bing smiled gently: "Alright, I thank you for him."
Ao Yi watched them from nearby. Yun Heng looked up and met his gaze again.
Yun Heng asked him: "Do you want one too?"
Ao Yi puzzled: "Want what?"
"The Prince's kiss!"
"…"
Ao Yi had just opened his mouth to say something, but Yun Heng interrupted: "If you don't want it, fine, I won't give it anyway."
Ao Yi raised an eyebrow: "Then reluctantly… I'll take one."
Yun Heng extended a finger, beckoning him. Ao Yi bent down, and the little one was quite generous, kissing without hesitation: "Seeing that you're also quite handsome, I'll reluctantly kiss you too."
"…"
What the Dragon King of the East Sea prided most was his eldest and third sons—both equally handsome and clever. Who would have thought that in the Celestial Realm, two dragons would be utterly charmed by a three-year-old toddler.
Yun Heng returned to Jasper Pool. Inside the palace, the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother sat facing each other, discussing the stone monkey that wreaked havoc in the Dragon Palace and the underworld.
Yun Heng became excited upon hearing this: "Give it to me as a mount, give it to me as a mount!"
The Queen Mother tapped his forehead with her finger: "Always talking about mounts, day after day, obsessed. Monkeys jump around everywhere, aren't you afraid it might fall with you?"
"I'm not afraid!" The little one pouted, looking aggrieved. "All Immortals have mounts, but I don't. Father Emperor, Mother Empress, you wouldn't be lying to me, right? I'm not an Immortal at all."
"Nonsense!" The Queen Mother hugged him. "Father Emperor and Mother Empress are both Immortals, how could you not be one?"
The Jade Emperor sternly said: "We can indulge you in everything, but this matter alone is not allowed. That monkey wreaked havoc in the Dragon Palace and the underworld, even the Dragon King and the underworld lords fear him. What if he hurts you?"
"If you want a mount, the Imperial Stables have plenty of Heavenly Horses. I'll order the presiding immortal official to pick the best one for you."
Yun Heng still shook his head: "There are thousands upon thousands of Heavenly Horses, they all look the same, not special at all."
The Queen Mother coaxed him: "Would you like Mother Empress's Landscape Scroll?"
"No."
"That was painted by Lord Wen Qu depicting exquisite scenes of the mortal world, imbued with the spiritual essence of the Jasper Pool's wondrous realm. It can ride the wind, traveling a thousand miles in a day."
Yun Heng shook his head: "No."
The Queen Mother then said: "Then let your Father Emperor give you his Eight Scenes Imperial Carriage."
The Jade Emperor smiled silently beside them. Yun Heng had no Immortal Arts, these mounts were also Magical Treasures, even if given to him he couldn't control them.
The little one still wouldn't accept: "No, no, no, I only want animals."
The Queen Mother slapped his thigh: "Then there's none, you'll just have to run on your own two legs."
This slap didn't hurt him at all, instead it made him giggle happily, nestling in the Queen Mother's embrace: "Mother Empress, hug~"
His hand stretched halfway out, then retracted. He saw on the table a plate of something he had never seen before.
"What is this?" The little one grabbed one and examined it carefully. Inside the flour wrapper were thin strands, some red, some white, quite pretty.
The Jade Emperor pinched his cheek: "Poor you, noticing it only now."
The Queen Mother said: "This is called silk cake. The Grain God sent fresh carrots and white radishes, Cai Ying specially made them for you. Try it."
The little one happily took a big bite: "So fragrant!"
These past few days, Yun Heng had been thinking about that monkey. He had no interest in alchemy, but snacks were still essential.
He came to the side hall, saw the radishes on the table, and was very curious. He picked them up, turning them over and examining them.
"Cai Ying sister, where did these come from?"
"Plant them in the ground?"
Yun Heng tilted his head: "Ground?"
"Yes, bury the seeds in the ground, water them every day, give them plenty of sunlight, soon radishes will grow. Little white rabbits like you love eating radishes, especially carrots."
Yun Heng suddenly understood: "So that's how they grow."
Cai Ying was busy with work at the stove, not paying attention to what he said.
Yun Heng returned to the edge of the Jasper Pool, circling around it for a long time, head lowered, looking here and there.
The Weaver Girl saw this and felt puzzled: "Prince, Prince, what are you doing?"
Yun Heng didn't lift his head, still searching around the Jasper Pool: "I'm looking for something?"
The Weaver Girl put down her seven-colored exquisite shuttle and stood up to help him search: "What did you lose?"
"Nothing."
"Huh?" The Weaver Girl was even more puzzled. "If you didn't lose anything, what are you looking for?"
"Looking for a stone."
"Looking for a stone?" The Weaver Girl couldn't understand. "Why look for a stone?"
"Found it!" Yun Heng shouted, picking up a pebble from the edge of the Jasper Pool. The stone, having soaked in the Sacred Water of the Jasper Pool for millennia, was smooth and warm like fine jade, truly resembling a polished egg.
The Weaving Maiden leaned over for a look, frowning as she called to a nearby Fairy Maiden: "Qing Yao, come take a look. Is there anything special about this stone?"
Qing Yao also stepped forward and tapped it, hesitating with a furrowed brow: "It seems… it looks more rounded, truly like an egg."
The two fairy maidens exchanged glances, silent, each seeing a hint of helplessness on the other's face.
Their crown prince's thoughts were something even the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother couldn't fathom, let alone these humble Jasper Pool Fairy Maidens.
Yun Heng, clutching his stone, dashed out of the Jasper Pool. Coincidentally, he encountered Hundred Flower Fairy again: "Crown Prince, rushing so urgently, where are you headed?"
Yun Heng replied with a question instead: "Hundred Flower Fairy, what flower blooms today?"
"Hibiscus."
Yun Heng said: "Then can you weave a hibiscus flower basket for me?"
Hundred Flower Fairy asked: "What about the previous one?"
Yun Heng answered: "I gave it to Ling'er."
"Well…"
Before Hundred Flower Fairy could finish, Yun Heng began answering: "You are the most beautiful, no fairy in the Celestial Realm surpasses your beauty."
Hundred Flower Fairy gently pinched his little cheek: "You are the cleverest."
In a short moment, Hundred Flower Fairy held a flower basket woven entirely from hibiscus.
Unlike the fresh and elegant lotus, hibiscus was more radiant and charming, pleasing the crown prince even more.
After bidding farewell to Hundred Flower Fairy, Yun Heng headed eastward, soon arriving at Rainbow Bridge. This was the place closest to the sun in the entire Heavenly Court, where warm sunlight cascaded down, making the rainbow colors even more vivid.
Yun Heng found a spot with the best sunlight beside Rainbow Bridge, carefully took out his meticulously chosen stone, gently buried it in the soil, silently wishing that soon, a monkey would sprout from it.
"Please, please, it must grow into a handsome monkey."
On the first day, Yun Heng carried his small bucket, filled it brimming with Sacred Water from the Jasper Pool, and laboriously hauled it to Rainbow Bridge to irrigate his little stone.
On the way, he met Kui Mulang, who lent a hand, using magic art to help him move the bucket to Rainbow Bridge.
Yun Heng smiled gratefully: "Thank you for your effort, Kui Mulang."
Kui Mulang was flattered, quickly bowing to him: "Your words are too kind, Crown Prince. Being able to assist you is a blessing for this humble immortal."
He glanced at the bucket and curiously asked further: "May I ask what the Crown Prince intends to do with this bucket of water?"
Yun Heng laughed: "Planting stones."
"Planting stones?" Kui Mulang scratched his head. This little crown prince's mind was full of strange ideas; recently, his Immortal Elixir had bored all the immortal officials, and now he was starting to plant stones.
He smiled apologetically at Yun Heng: "Then, Crown Prince, please continue your work. This humble immortal has other matters and must depart now."
Yun Heng waved: "Go, go."
After Kui Mulang left, Yun Heng suddenly looked up, glancing toward the direction he went. The little one remembered that the White Tiger constellation should be in the west, but Kui Mulang headed toward… Taiwei Yuqing Palace.
Taiwei Yuqing Palace was the Jade Emperor's residence. Apart from the Jade Emperor's personal guards, Yun Heng rarely saw external officials within Taiwei Yuqing Palace; those he saw were close ministers like the Four Heavenly Masters and Taibai Jinxing.
Kui Mulang was merely a minor star official, yet Yun Heng had never seen him within Taiwei Yuqing Palace. He wondered what Kui Mulang was doing there today.
Unable to figure it out, Yun Heng stopped pondering and focused on watering his stone.
After watering, he didn't wish to return early to the Jasper Pool, so he sat on Rainbow Bridge basking in the sun.
The little one tilted his head back slightly, his small face bathed in sunlight. His legs dangled outside the rainbow, swinging back and forth, back and forth…
Suddenly, he felt something tickling the back of his hand, as if something was slowly crawling over it. Looking down, he exclaimed in surprise, "Little rabbit, what are you doing here!"
It was none other than the Goddess of the Moon's Jade Rabbit. Somehow, it had sneaked out today.
The Jade Rabbit circled around Yun Heng to the other side, sniffing around his crabapple flower basket and repeatedly nosing at the contents inside.
Yun Heng seemed to understand its meaning: "Are you hungry?"
The Jade Rabbit rubbed its head against his hand.
Yun Heng asked again, "You want something to eat."
He rummaged through the flower basket and actually pulled out a carrot. At the sight of the carrot, the Jade Rabbit hopped around eagerly.
But Yun Heng didn't give it to the rabbit right away. After a moment's thought, he mustered all his strength and broke the carrot into two halves. One half he gave to the rabbit, and the other half he stuffed into his own mouth.
Today, the Goddess of the Moon had gone out to meet with her good friend, the Rainbow Fairy. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even notice the Jade Rabbit had slipped away. By the time they realized it, the little creature was nowhere to be found.
The Goddess of the Moon and the Rainbow Fairy searched all the way until they reached the rainbow. From a distance, they saw this scene: on the rainbow bridge sat a child dressed in snow-white robes, with a rabbit beside him. Both the child and the rabbit held half a carrot in their hands, bringing it to their mouths at the same time and taking a bite.
Yun Heng thought the carrot had a strange taste and wasn't delicious at all. But the rabbit beside him crunched away as if it were eating something delicious.
Yun Heng looked at the carrot in his hand, then at the one in the Jade Rabbit's mouth. He couldn't help but feel that the rabbit's half tasted better. So, with lightning speed, he snatched the other half from the rabbit's mouth.
As the saying goes, even a rabbit will bite when cornered, especially when its food is snatched right from its mouth. The little rabbit pushed off with its hind legs, effortlessly leaping onto Yun Heng's shoulder. It leaned over and pressed its three-lip mouth toward Yun Heng's…
"Your Highness!!"
The two fairies were horrified. Without a care for their grace or poise, they lifted their celestial skirts and rushed toward the rainbow.
Just as the child and the rabbit were about to press their five lips together over the half-carrot, the two fairies arrived. Chang'e grabbed the Jade Rabbit, while the Rainbow Fairy scooped up Yun Heng, forcibly separating them.
"Don't fight, don't fight!" Yun Heng glanced at Chang'e and the Rainbow Fairy, then at the two halves of the carrot in his hand, a conflicted expression on his face. Finally, he stretched out his hand, offering the two halves to the fairies, reluctantly parting with them as he said, "You two fairies should have them."
"…"
The two fairies were left speechless, their throats tight. Yun Heng's expression seemed to be waiting for them to say, "Thank you for the reward, Your Highness."
"Your Highness," the Goddess of the Moon said to Yun Heng, pointing at the Jade Rabbit, "You can play with it, but please don't touch anything it has eaten."
"You are the Crown Prince, a precious and noble being, and you don't understand magic arts. If anything were to happen to you, and the Queen Mother of the West were to hold me accountable, I, a mere minor immortal from the Moon Palace, would not be able to bear the responsibility."
Seeing her sincere and earnest expression, as if she were about to burst into tears at any moment, Yun Heng reached out his small hand and gently touched her forehead. "I'll give all the carrots to the little rabbit. I won't eat them anymore. Goddess of the Moon, don't cry. You won't look pretty if you cry."
That little mouth, truly nurtured by Hundred-Flower Nectar, speaks words that can sweeten one's heart.
The Rainbow Fairy beside him teased him: "The Crown Prince only cares whether Sister Chang'e is beautiful, why not take a look at me?"
Yun Heng said: "The Rainbow Fairy is also beautiful."
The Rainbow Fairy scratched his chin: "Then tell me, Crown Prince, who is more beautiful between us?"
Yun Heng grinned at her: "The Great Peacock is the most beautiful!"
"…"
Although Father Emperor had said not to let that little monkey become his mount, Yun Heng remained curious about what such a formidable little monkey looked like.
Thus, besides watering his stone every day, Yun Heng would run to Tongming Hall to inquire about the monkey.
But after asking several times in succession, Marshal Wang always said it wouldn't be that fast. Wait a few more days, wait a few more days…
After waiting like this for several days, Yun Heng put the matter aside and stopped going.
He focused solely on planting his stone, praying that after basking in enough sunlight and drinking enough water, it would soon bounce out a monkey to serve as his mount.
Outside the Southern Heavenly Gate, Taibai Jinxing brought Sun Wukong back to the Heavenly Court to report. Unexpectedly, his skills were inferior, and he was flung far away by Sun Wukong's Somersault Cloud. Sun Wukong arrived at the Southern Heavenly Gate before he did.
Zengzhang Tianwang, who was guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate that day, did not recognize this monkey, and Sun Wukong had a fiery temper—they nearly started fighting.
Such a big commotion didn't even reach Yun Heng's ears, and the little one didn't run to Ling Xiao Dian to see the monkey. The Jade Emperor, however, felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.
Without his son causing trouble, the Jade Emperor handled celestial duties smoothly. He first asked the Immortal Ministers from various departments where there were vacant official positions. None were available elsewhere; only the Imperial Stables had one opening.
The Jade Emperor immediately decided: "I shall appoint you as Keeper of the Heavenly Horses." Then, he specifically instructed, "Mu De Xing Jun, escort the new Keeper of the Heavenly Horses to the Imperial Stables to assume his post."
Sun Wukong had been a monkey for over three hundred years. Although he had established his own territory at Huaguo Mountain's Water Curtain Cave and proclaimed himself king and ancestor, he had never officially held an official position and didn't know what "Keeper of the Heavenly Horses" actually meant. Still, he gave a grand salute to the Jade Emperor and went off happily.
Mu De Xing Jun took a shortcut, pointing Sun Wukong in the direction: walk straight to the end of the main road, that's the Imperial Stables, and go assume your post yourself. Mu De Xing Jun then turned around and returned to his palace.
The Heavenly Court has thirty-three celestial palaces and seventy-one treasured halls. Walking along, Sun Wukong got lost.
Looking far ahead, there was a rainbow, and beside the rainbow crouched a child. Sun Wukong decided to go ask for directions.
As Sun Wukong approached, he realized this child was incredibly beautiful. Compared to this little child, his monkey descendants were unsightly, utterly unsightly—even combined, they couldn't match a fraction of him.
Yun Heng, chin in hand, gazed worriedly at the area where he planted his stone: "After so many days, why hasn't it grown?"
Sun Wukong simply sat on the ground: "Grow what?"
"A monkey."
Sun Wukong blinked, hopping over to Yun Heng's other side, somewhat smug: "You like monkeys?"
"Yes!" Yun Heng introduced without looking up, "I truly hope my stone can bounce out a little monkey."
Sun Wukong: "…"
A monkey bouncing out of a stone—this sounded somewhat familiar.
"If you like monkeys, Old Sun can give you one. Huaguo Mountain may lack other things, but monkey descendants are plentiful."
"Huaguo Mountain? Water Curtain Cave?" Yun Heng looked up and saw a furry creature squatting before him, grinning widely.
The little prince slapped his thigh and jumped up: "Excellent, excellent! Monkeys have grown, my stone has finally grown monkeys!"
He then patted Sun Wukong on the shoulder: "From now on, you are my little monkey!"
Sun Wukong: "…"