Chapter 29

Emperor Chongzhao had resolved a worry and was in a good mood.

In fact, he had originally wanted to confer the title of empress on Concubine Yun. According to the ancestral system of the Great Zhou Dynasty, if she was not an empress, she could not be buried with the emperor after her death. At first, he planned to write an imperial edict before his death, asking the next emperor to confer the title of empress on Concubine Yun for him, so that they could be buried together in the imperial mausoleum. Now, it was solved in one go.

When he arrived at the Purple Palace, he was the first to hear a voice: "I want the big black moth!!"

Emperor Chongzhao paused and walked in.

I saw a child squatting on the soft carpet in the hall, barefoot, holding a piece of black cloth tightly in his hand. Upon closer inspection, the cloth looked familiar.

Emperor Chongzhao looked again and saw that the curtain above the dragon couch that was used to refract light was half collapsed, as if it had been pulled down forcibly, and the other half was hanging miserably on it, like a leaky bed.

“…”

"What's going on?"

Eunuch Bao bowed with a sad face, "When the young prince woke up this morning, he seemed to be in a nightmare. He kept grabbing the black thing and refused to let go, and he also pulled down the curtain."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Give it to him if you want. Does the Purple Palace need this piece of cloth?"

"It's not that I don't want to give it to you, please see." Eunuch Bao let go of his hand.

As soon as he let go, the black cloth fell to the ground, and the little prince who was squatting on the ground immediately crawled in and hid himself under the black cloth, crawling on the ground like a cricket pupa.

Emperor Chongzhao took a deep breath and squatted down. For a moment he couldn't tell which was his head and which was his butt.

"Xiao Qi, come out. Aren't you feeling suffocated in there?"

A muffled voice came from inside: "We want a big black moth."

"What big black moth?"

"The big black moth that carried me flying."

This description was both abstract and specific. Eunuch Yu suddenly had an idea and whispered in Emperor Chongzhao's ear: "It should be the adult who found His Highness that day and brought His Highness back..."

Wearing a mask and dressed in black.

Emperor Chongzhao frowned slightly.

The black cloth shrank again, and Qu Dubian poked his head out and looked at Emperor Chongzhao eagerly, "Can you help me find the big black moth?"

Emperor Chongzhao: "If there is no big black moth, I will find someone else to take you flying. Of course, it has to be after you recover from your illness."

Qu Dubian was disappointed: "Eunuch Bao said that your Majesty is very powerful and can do anything, but it turns out he was lying."

Emperor Chongzhao glanced at Eunuch Bao.

Eunuch Bao: “…”

Why doesn't he remember saying that?!

Emperor Chongzhao: "I will find it for you this afternoon."

In the afternoon, a row of eunuchs in black clothes stood in the hall. Among them were a few guards who knew martial arts.

How could a child recognize someone? The secret guards were wearing masks, so their faces couldn't be seen. They just had to fool him.

Children who were not even as tall as their legs looked over one by one, their noses moving occasionally.

One last pout.

"There are no big black moths here." He pointed, raised his head, and said to Emperor Chongzhao, "They don't have green flowers on their sleeves either."

"You're lying."

Emperor Chongzhao felt a slight headache.

The child had a fever at the time, right? How come he remembers it so clearly? He is not a dog, so can he really smell it?

He couldn't bear it any longer, so he left the child to Ye Xiaoyuan and others to take care of, and went to the side hall to review memorials.

Qu Dubian simply covered himself with a black cloth, and sat cross-legged on the ground, in a trance, motionless, amid the helpless looks and repeated attempts to coax him from his friends.

Are you kidding? What's at stake is one year of his life. If he doesn't fight now, when will he fight?

Side hall.

Emperor Chongzhao approved half of the memorial.

Suddenly he sighed.

"I must find him a docile concubine to raise as soon as possible."

Eunuch Yu said softly, "That adult saved the little prince, so it's normal for a child to develop a sense of dependence. Why don't you try to coax him a little more? News came from the main hall that the little prince has been sitting on the ground for the whole afternoon. He didn't make a fuss, but no one could coax him to get up."

"Just ask him to sit down. How can we accommodate everything in this world?"

After a while, he asked, "Still sitting?"

Eunuch Yu sent someone to check, and when the palace maid came back, he said, "He's still sitting there."

Emperor Chong Zhao rubbed his temples and sighed, "This child is too stubborn. He is a stubborn person. I don't know who he looks like."

Eunuch Yu smiled and said, "How can I call it stubborn? This is determination, which is inherited from Your Majesty. If it weren't for your diligent governance over the years, there would be no peaceful days now."

Emperor Chongzhao seemed to be smiling.

"Who are you kidding, man?"

"The servant is telling the truth."

It was time for dinner. The imperial kitchen sent tonight's meal to the side hall. Emperor Chongzhao was about to start eating when he casually asked, "Has Xiaoqi eaten yet?"

Eunuch Yu: “I’m eating.”

"I thought he could hold out and not eat."

A small shadow rushed in from the door of the side hall. Qu Dubian, holding his bowl, ran very fast to the side hall, braked suddenly, and stopped in front of his father.

“…”

"What are you doing?"

Qu Dubian looked at the papaya paste in his bowl, then looked at the delicious food on Emperor Chongzhao's table. He could smell the fragrance in the main hall!

The food cooked in the imperial kitchen is so delicious. The food cooked in the big kitchen cannot compare to it at all.

He asked, "Can we have dinner together?"

Then he raised his small bowl.

Cat begging for food.jpg

Emperor Chongzhao raised his eyebrows. After the child's fever subsided, he became much more lively than when he was sick. And this showed that he was willing to be close to him?

Although I still haven't called him father, it seems like the feeling has become less strange.

The other princes all chased after him and called him father, wanting to get more of his attention, but this youngest guy was different. He had personally taken care of him for two days, but he was still brooding about the fact that he didn't reach out to hug him that night.

His mind is as young as his age.

Do you think he, the emperor, would care? You must be kidding. He has so many children, how can he not be called the emperor father?

Emperor Chongzhao: "Carry him to the other side."

Qu Dubian finally tasted the imperial meal that he had been craving for. He used the special spoon to scoop food quickly and instructed Eunuch Yu to serve him food without mercy, which was more convenient than that used by Emperor Chongzhao.

Emperor Chongzhao observed the food and found that although it looked delicious, he actually did not have a big appetite and chewed each bite many times before swallowing it.

Qu Dubian's eating habits, which were left over from controlling his weight in his previous life, were defined by Emperor Chongzhao as bad teeth.

After finishing the meal, Qu Dubian did not leave. He followed Emperor Chongzhao to the desk where he worked, rested his elbows on it, and looked at him with his chin in his hand.

Emperor Chongzhao: "This is not the place for you. What do you want to do by following me?"

Qu Watanabe: "It needs a real big black moth."

"I really don't."

"Then why did you lie to me?"

“…”

"If you don't believe it, just sit here."

He continued to review the memorials, and even had someone wrap Qu Dubian in a small blanket to prevent him from getting cold. He wanted to see how long this kid could hold out.

Next two full hours.

Emperor Chongzhao commented on memorials, and Qu Watanabe played the simulator.

Emperor Chongzhao drank cold tea, and Qu Dubian drank milk.

Emperor Chongzhao stood up and walked away. Qu Dubian followed behind him and almost stepped on his back.

When Emperor Chongzhao went to the toilet, Qu Dubian stood in front of him with confidence.

"..." Emperor Chongzhao couldn't hold it any longer, "Aren't you tired or sleepy?!"

After all, he didn't have the nerve to go to the toilet in front of his son.

Qu Dubian blinked, patted the edge of the screen, and a small whistle came out of his mouth: "Shh~"

As Emperor Chongzhao's face darkened, the child blew the flute a few more times.

Then he whispered, "Really? Ye Banban said that only children whistle when they pee. I haven't done that for a long time. If I help you like this, you must find the big black moth--"

Eunuch Yu picked up the little prince from the ground and covered his mouth.

Oh my God, my Lord, please don't say that!

Emperor Chongzhao's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

He discovered that the child was not afraid of him at all.

Qu Watanabe: “Mmmmm!”

He pulled down Eunuch Yu's hand. After the fever subsided, his cleverness overflowed from his eyes. Looking at his father with a dark face, his eyes lit up: "I know! You don't want others to talk about this."

As soon as he rolled his eyes, he came up with a clever idea and negotiated terms with his father.

"It needs a big black moth, or I'll tell everyone that His Majesty needs someone to whistle." He covered his mouth and laughed secretly, "Hehe."

Emperor Chongzhao's blood pressure suddenly rose: "Qu Xiaoqi!"

How come this child is more tormented after recovering from his illness than when he was sick? !

"If you continue to act recklessly, I will send you to the imperial palace."

As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a sense of regret.

The child just tried to get close to him, and although his way of doing so was a bit naughty and playful, shouldn't he have been so fierce?

Sure enough, the child who had a smiling look on his face just now was stunned, with the corners of his mouth drooping. He struggled silently, got off Eunuch Yu, and without asking anyone to follow him, he grabbed a corner of the quilt and dragged it on the ground.

Emperor Chongzhao also stopped going to the toilet and followed him.

When you reach the threshold of the side hall.

The child stopped and said: "Adults are really good at lying. They can change their words. I won't give you any dates from now on."

After saying this, he tried hard to throw the quilt out, stepped over the threshold with difficulty, and then hung on the threshold with the quilt awkwardly.

Emperor Chongzhao: “…”

Qu Watanabe: “…”

Damn.

This isn't a charity cemetery, why is the threshold so high? Is it to prevent corpses from jumping out?

Emperor Chongzhao lifted his collar and helped him.

Qu Dubian didn't even turn his head, dragged his small quilt and ran back to the main hall, then threw himself into Ye Xiaoyuan's arms.

It's so embarrassing!

Emperor Chongzhao stood at the door of the West Warm Pavilion, and the subtle bitterness in his heart was diluted by a feeling of being at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

Eunuch Yu: "Your Majesty, don't be angry. The little prince is trying to get close to you. Children only act spoiled and willful to the elders they rely on."

Emperor Chongzhao: "I know and understand that he has been living in Ju'an Palace. No one has taught him many rules. He is so casual in front of me."

Finished reviewing the memorials.

Emperor Chongzhao returned to his bedroom.

Qu Dubian glanced at him, turned around and faced away from him.

"Still asleep?"

Ye Xiaoyuan said awkwardly: "Well... His Highness should be waiting for you."

Emperor Chongzhao: "Did it cause any trouble?"

His youngest son immediately turned his head away and said angrily: "Only children make trouble."

Emperor Chongzhao: “…”

Ye Xiaoyuan stroked his fur expertly: "Your Highness has always been very well behaved."

Emperor Chongzhao waved his hand and told Ye Xiaoyuan to go down.

He lifted his skirt, sat on the edge of the bed, stretched out a finger and gently pushed Qu Watanabe's shoulder, "I want to talk to you. In the afternoon, I was just angry, I didn't ask you to leave."

"It's okay if you want me to leave. You don't like me anyway."

"Whoever said I don't like you, I'll beat him with a stick."

Qu Dubian still had his back to him, his voice still stubborn, but his small figure revealed a bit of loneliness.

"You saw your brothers but not me. I missed you so much and I took the initiative to look for you, but you didn't even hug me. Ye Banban said you were good every day, but you were not good at all... You let me stay because you were only a little bit good."

He mumbled with the innocent tone of a child, expressing his likes and complaints frankly.

Emperor Chongzhao finally realized what Master Fang said about his youngest son's intelligence, but he felt a headache. Smart children are always hard to coax when they are serious: "I... I want to hold you now?"

"No. Many people say that there is something bad about me. It doesn't matter if you dislike me." Qu Dubian turned his back to his adopted father and recited the lines he had prepared long ago in a low voice, "My brothers have Mother and you, and I am not bad either. I have Ye Banban, Xiaochun, and Eunuch Yu treats me well."

The tone sounded a little proud.

Emperor Chongzhao remained silent. Yes, looking at the harem, the other princes and princesses still had their mothers to take care of them, but Xiaoqi was the only one who had him to rely on.

Even the old man Yu Decai feels more secure in this child's heart than he does.

Emperor Chongzhao closed his palms and finally said, "You can be more willful when you are by my side in the future."

Qu Duanbian turned his head secretly: "How willful can you be? Can I have a big black moth?"

"..." Emperor Chongzhao wrapped him in a quilt and said sternly, "Don't be naughty. It's too late. Go to bed."

"oh."

Qu Watanabe closed his eyes.

Now that the child has recovered from his illness, he seems to be less fussy and is much easier to take care of than when he was sick.

Emperor Chongzhao moved Qu Dubian inside. Finally, I can have a good sleep. These two days have been really torturous.

Qu Dubian turned over and muttered in his sleep: "Mother..."

Emperor Chongzhao paused and raised his eyes.

"Mother."

Looks like he didn't sleep well.

Emperor Chongzhao raised half of his body slightly, and the shadow cast by the candlelight fell on half of his face. He raised his hand and patted it lightly, with a hint of comfort.

"Big black moth."

"Big black...big black moth."

Emperor Chongzhao: “…”

He pinched the child's face silently.

Why am I still thinking about this in my dream?

"Big black moth."

This continued for half an hour, and every once in a while, just when he was about to fall asleep, the nightmare-like 'big black moth' came.

Emperor Chongzhao took a deep breath.

Or should he go out and sleep? Sleeping in the side hall is also good. If that doesn't work, he can go to the harem and find a concubine to sleep with.

Just as he was about to put this idea into practice, the small, short, bad-tempered, annoying child called out with a hint of nostalgia:

"Daddy."

Emperor Chongzhao suspected for a moment that he had heard it wrong. It took him a while to realize that the child really called him "Dad" in his dream.

It's not the cold and icy Majesty, it's Daddy. Although it's not in accordance with the rules, it sounds better than the Emperor.

Emperor Chongzhao stretched out his finger to tease his son, poked his cheek, and whispered, "Shout again."

Qu Dubian turned over and fell asleep.

It’s just wishful thinking.

If he doesn’t see Yi Twelve tomorrow, he’s going to have a big fight, a huge one.

Emperor Chongzhao waited for a long time but there was no second sound. He sat cross-legged on the bed, thinking of the stubborn look of the child who had followed him around today, chasing after the big black moth, and his headache began to set in again.

If I don’t give it to you, I don’t know how long you will continue to be stubborn.

After finally recovering from the illness, he became a little naughty like healthy children.

That's all.

-

late at night.

Early morning.

prison.

There is only a palm-sized ventilation hole in the square cage.

There was a person hanging on the chains hanging above.

The double hooks pierced his shoulders, and blood dripped from his toes. Below was a water tank to collect the blood. This was a control method to prevent the prison guards from escaping, completely removing the guards' mobility.

The guard captain Yi Zi was in the prison cell. He said calmly, "I heard from the leader that you chose to die."

Yi Twelve coughed a few times and spoke slowly: "...It is better to die than to abolish martial arts and be imprisoned for life."

Guard Captain Yi: "If you hadn't saved him that day, the young prince might not have been safe. Without the direct order of His Majesty, according to the Shadow Law, you should not have taken action."

"I remember when you first started training, you were holding a book in your hand. What was that book? I don't remember, but because of that book, I evaluated you. A book can easily affect your emotions. You are not suitable to be a secret guard."

"He is indeed not suitable to be a secret guard, and he doesn't need to be a secret guard." The leader of the secret guards came in.

Captain Yi was startled.

"leader."

The leader of the secret guards raised his head and looked at Yi Twelve who was hanging in the air: "You should be thankful that you have not been in the secret guards for long and do not know many secrets. Otherwise, you would not be able to get out no matter what."

The Yizi guard was confused: "Go out?"

Yi Twelve chooses to die. According to the schedule, he will take poison tomorrow. Can he still get out? A corpse?

"Um."

The leader of the secret guards said.

"You'll be seeing a baby in the future. Congratulations, big black moth."

The first secret guard in history to change his job.