Xiao Hongyi had not seen Feng Zhao since last night.
In the past, Feng Zhao would never tell him where she was going or what she was doing. If he asked too much, she would get angry, so over time he stopped asking and simply focused on doing his own things.
But for some reason, thinking back to everything that happened after the emperor’s death, he couldn’t help feeling worried.
So early in the morning, he ran out.
He thought that no matter where Feng Zhao went, today was the day of the emperor’s burial and sealing ceremony—she, as the Empress, would definitely attend.
But when he reached the entrance of the mourning hall, the eunuchs guarding the door stopped him.
“Today’s sealing ceremony is a state ritual! Not just anyone can enter!”
The eunuch was one of Wen Meier’s people. In the palace, Wen Meier held great power. The guards did not know what was happening inside the hall, only that after today the First Prince would become the next Emperor of Cangyun Kingdom.
Blocking the troublesome Ninth Prince at the door would surely earn them rewards later.
But what he thought was “reward,” in Xiao Hongyi’s eyes became “stopping him from finding someone.”
In the past, he would have simply obeyed and left. But now, images of Feng Zhao’s dazzling presence kept flashing in his mind, along with her words—if someone bullies you, you must speak up.
So he clenched his fists and, gathering his courage, looked directly at the eunuch.
“Open your dog eyes and look clearly! I am the Ninth Prince! Who gave you the right to speak to me like that?!”
The little prince was soft and chubby, his round face full of baby fat—adorable rather than intimidating. But his eyes were firm, and his tightly clenched fists betrayed his nervousness.
“If you don’t let me in today, I will punish you!”
The eunuch was first stunned by his sudden change, then sneered.
“Prince? You really think you’re a prince? You’re just the son of a palace maid—a bastard! Don’t think being adopted by the Empress makes you legitimate. You’re nothing but a pawn she picked up out of pity!”
Xiao Hongyi of course knew his own status—but that didn’t mean this man could insult him!
He turned to his attendant eunuch, Xiao Li.
“Slap him!”
Xiao Li was also surprised by his master’s boldness, but as a servant he obeyed immediately and stepped forward to slap the eunuch.
Xiao Li was strong. Compared to the eunuch who only knew how to bully others, he had the advantage.
After being forced to take twenty slaps on each side of his face, the eunuch’s face swelled up. Furious, he rushed inside to call for help.
“Just wait! I won’t let you go!”
Xiao Hongyi took a deep breath. Only now did he realize—he had actually hit someone.
And not just anyone, but a gate-guarding eunuch of the mourning hall. This would definitely cause trouble later.
Xiao Li, having enjoyed the beating, also started to worry.
“…Let’s find Mother first,” Xiao Hongyi said. Right now, he didn’t want to think about consequences.
With no one stopping them, they entered the mourning hall.
The hall was the former imperial residence of Emperor Lingxiao. It was large. However, something had clearly happened—there were few people in the main hall, while the side hall was filled with noise.
Xiao Hongyi followed the voices.
In the side hall, Feng Zhao was in the final stage of confrontation with the Wen family.
The Wen family was unreasonable but unwilling to give up the throne, leading to a deadlock that was about to break into violence.
Feng Ying stood with troops at his side; Wen family guards were also gathering, awaiting orders.
At that moment, the beaten eunuch ran in, knelt before Wen Meier, and cried out:
“Your Highness! Please save me! The Ninth Prince just insulted and beat me!”
Wen Meier had been maintaining a fragile balance of power. Now that everything was on the verge of collapse, this disturbance added fuel to the fire.
Feng Zhao heard “Ninth Prince” and immediately asked:
“You said the Ninth Prince hit you? I’d like to ask—what did a five-year-old child do to provoke a thirty-year-old servant like you?”
The eunuch froze.
“Speak! Why aren’t you speaking?”
At that moment, Xiao Hongyi arrived.
“Mother! I have something to say!”
He immediately shouted before the eunuch could twist the truth.
“Mother! This man insulted me and called me the son of a palace maid, saying I don’t deserve to be a prince!”
His words caused shock among the crowd.
Feng Zhao frowned deeply. Not only her, but many officials who opposed the Wen family, and even Wen family members themselves, all stared at the eunuch with anger.
“Who gave you the right to comment on the prince’s lineage?!” someone shouted.
The eunuch was stunned—he thought Wen Meier would support him, but instead, even Wen family officials were furious.
“Drag this eunuch out and execute him on the spot!” Wen Chenglin ordered coldly.
But Feng Zhao spoke again.
“Wait.”
She would not let such a useful piece of evidence go so easily.
She turned to Wen Meier.
“You slandered my innocence, poisoned me, and now even insult my son’s bloodline. Do you intend to overthrow the imperial family and seize the throne?”
“If that is the case, I might as well hand the throne to you. Shall the Cangyun Kingdom become the Wen Kingdom?”
A heavy accusation fell like a mountain.
Wen Chenglin immediately broke into a cold sweat.
He did want power—but not this kind of “usurper” label. That would ruin their reputation forever.
He quickly bowed.
“Your Majesty misunderstands! This is all the eunuch’s own interpretation!”
Feng Zhao didn’t care for explanations.
“I only ask one thing,” she said coldly. “The throne is for the legitimate heir. Do you agree or not?”
..
Xiao Hongyi successfully ascended the throne, and Feng Zhao became the regent.
The news reached Wen Meier in the palace.
She smashed everything in fury.
“It was supposed to be mine! Everything was supposed to be mine!”
She was so angry she wished she had killed Feng Zhao earlier instead of forcing her into awakening.
“No… I cannot lose. I have killed emperors before. Xiao Hongyi is not the first.”
She dug her nails into her palm.
In truth, Emperor Lingxiao’s sudden death had her involvement. She had grown tired of him and secretly poisoned him—only for him to die earlier than expected due to his already ruined body.
Just one step away from obtaining the imperial decree… and it was gone.
But she would not give up.
“Go! Send word to my father! Pressure the court! I refuse to believe she can hold that throne!”
At the same time, Feng Zhao received a reward from the system: a C-grade character card.
She summoned a maid named Lian Qiao, who was assigned to check all food and items for poison.
With safety secured, she finally relaxed and even began raising a black cat—naming it “Xiao Hei.”
Meanwhile, Wen Meier planned another scheme.
But Feng Zhao was already preparing countermeasures.
And Xiao Hongyi, though only five years old, began quietly learning to govern—writing every character carefully, growing steadily under Feng Zhao’s guidance.
As court affairs piled up, Feng Zhao realized something serious:
They needed a teacher.
Thus she issued an imperial decree recruiting scholars from across the land.
However, no one responded.
Only later did she learn the reason: Emperor Lingxiao had once killed an entire group of loyal ministers, scaring all scholars away from entering court.
Feng Zhao felt a headache coming on.
So Xiao Hongyi personally wrote a more sincere decree.
Finally, someone responded.
A man named Yuan Chao appeared—ambitious, cunning, and once a tutor to the First Prince.
But Feng Zhao had already decided to seek a better teacher.
She sent Feng Ying to find the greatest scholar in the world: Qin Sang, the former imperial tutor who had survived Lingxiao’s purge by retiring early.
He lived on Mount Zhongnan.
Feng Zhao personally went to invite him.
After a difficult climb, she reached the mountain and saw not a grand academy—but a few simple thatched cottages.
She knocked lightly on a wooden fence.
A young man opened the door.
He looked refined and extraordinary, clearly not an ordinary villager.
And so, their meeting began.