Qin Zhao glanced at him and let him go.
"When did you return to the capital? Have you been to the palace?" Qin Zhao asked.
Deng Tianyou replied, "I came back early yesterday morning and entered the palace after noon."
"Have you seen His Majesty?"
Deng Tianyou shook his head.
"Now, all matters of the court are decided by the Empress Dowager. When asked about His Majesty, he simply said that he was ill and weak and could not see anyone." Deng Tianyou paused, then said, "But I heard that the Ministry of Rites is already preparing for the year-end ancestral worship."
"Oh?" Qin Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, "When?"
"It should be December 16th."
Qin Zhao has not received this news yet.
Although he had set up an intelligence network in the capital, his sources of information were sometimes fast and sometimes slow, and were definitely not as fast as those of important officials like Deng Tianyou.
It is now the end of November, which means there is still more than half a month left.
More than half a month is enough time for him to make arrangements.
Qin Zhao said: "I want to meet with the emperor and need your help."
"During the ancestor worship?"
"Yes," Qin Zhao said, "The emperor will personally attend the ancestral worship ceremony, and the ancestral temple is quite far from the capital, so the trip will take at least three days. During these three days, find an opportunity for me to meet with the emperor."
Deng Tianyou hesitated for a moment, but still nodded: "Okay."
Qin Zhao asked about some recent details about the court, and Deng Tianyou answered everything he knew, speaking in a gentle and appropriate manner, neither hurried nor slow.
Jing Li looked at him with interest.
Deng Tianyou won the first place in the imperial examination at the age of 18, and has been a student of Qin Zhao ever since. He can be considered half a student of Qin Zhao. This person is indeed very good around Qin Zhao, and his behavior and style of doing things are very similar to Qin Zhao.
However, he lacked Qin Zhao's calm confidence, probably because of their different backgrounds.
Looking at Deng Tianyou's appearance, Jing Li became even more curious about the appearance of the rumored little emperor. He was the person Qin Zhao had raised and taught for seven years.
Jing Li was a little distracted and didn't notice what they said. Not long after, Deng Tianyou stood up and said goodbye, leaving through the back door just as he came.
Qin Zhao sent the person out the door, and when he turned around, he was hugged by a chubby little kid on the leg.
The little fish had been playing quietly in the yard while the elders were talking, and only now did he come out to make his presence felt.
Seeing that he had nothing in his hands, Jing Li suddenly remembered something: "Where's my candied haws?"
The little fish cub hid behind Qin Zhao: "It was eaten."
"Who ate it?" Jing Li pulled the kid out and asked, imitating his tone, "Didn't Daddy ask you to hold it for me?"
The little fish blinked and said innocently, "But Daddy didn't say I can't eat it."
“…” Jing Li couldn’t answer.
He lifted the little fish cub's collar, raised his head, and said to Qin Zhao, "Look at your messy teachings. Your son has learned your evil ways."
Qin Zhao didn't think he had any bad intentions.
But he knew he couldn't reason with Jing Li at this moment. Husbands were meant to be coaxed, not reasoned with. He nodded and admitted it, "My fault. I'll compensate you with one, no, two, someday."
Jing Li was satisfied: "Deal!"
The two then took the child back to the house.
Jing Li soon forgot about the candied haws and continued to happily fight with the little fish for the cakes.
His style of raising children was unique. Other parents would always give their children the best, but Jing Li was not like that. Someone never let himself be wronged. When Xiaoyu was very young, he secretly shared his cakes with Xiaoyu.
At that time, the kid was still ignorant and often didn't understand why there was only a little bit left in his mouth after eating such a big piece of cake.