She had figured it out — Xuan Xixi’s temper, always flaring up, was entirely because Prince Xuan had spoiled him rotten.

“I’ll hold my tongue, Your son will hold his tongue.” Xuan Yanyu hooked his thumb ring and turned it idly.

“Eat first. We’ll settle accounts after the meal.”

Xuan Yanyu lounged with careless ease against the sandalwood chair, unhurried in his reply. “With Father saying that, how is your son supposed to eat in peace?”

Prince Xuan’s brow creased slightly. “Sit properly.”

Xuan Yanyu obediently straightened up a little.

“Eat first, we can talk after.” Prince Xuan took the soup ladle from a maidservant’s hand, ladled out a bowl, and set it before Xuan Yanyu.

“If Father doesn’t say what he needs to say, your son won’t be able to eat with an easy mind.” The man pushed aside the bowl placed before him and lifted his teacup for a sip instead.

Yan Yunning couldn’t help but steal glances at them from the corner of her eye.

The Princess Consort of Xuan, noticing the young girl’s movement, inconspicuously shifted back a little to give her a better view.

Prince Xuan’s eyes darkened. “How is it that Yan Shiyao still doesn’t know your identity? You didn’t tell her for over a year? You’ve been hiding it from her all along?”

Xuan Yanyu lowered his gaze and smiled. “Father, if I had told Yan Shiyao — hmm — I might well have been invited to Qilan’s imperial palace for tea long ago.”

Prince Xuan’s mouth opened slightly. “……”

Xuan Yanyu took the soup from Prince Xuan’s hands and raised the ladle with an elegant sip. “Does Father have anything else to ask?”

“I have no more questions.” Prince Xuan turned to look at Yan Yunning, his voice softer than before. “Yan family girl, hurry up and give me a grandchild with Yanyu. I’ll take care of the child for you both.”

“Cough, cough.” Yan Yunning nearly choked on her water. She truly feared the way Prince Xuan doted on children — what if he spoiled her child the same way? Even if Yanyu hadn’t been ruined by it, there was no guarantee a child wouldn’t be.

She didn’t feel the slightest bit comfortable entrusting a child to Prince Xuan.

If the child turned out to wind up Xuan Yanyu that would be one thing, but if the child wound up winding her up instead — then if the child threw a tantrum and ran off to tattle to the royal grandfather, she might just be driven to her wits’ end.

“Your Majesty, what are you saying?” The Princess Consort of Xuan gently patted Yan Yunning on the back.

Xuan Yanyu circled around and settled into the seat Xuanzhao Yang had just vacated. Using the excuse of wiping the corner of her mouth, he leaned in close and murmured, “Shy? Weren’t you the one who pressured this Crown Prince into —”

“Will you shut up.” Yan Yunning clenched her teeth and glared at him under her breath.

Prince Xuan narrowed his eyes. “Yan family girl, what was that look on your face just now? You don’t want me raising a child for you and Yanyu?”

“Shall I tell the truth?” Yan Yunning blinked.

And no wonder he was Prince Xuan — he could see even that.

“Say it.” Prince Xuan fixed her with a dangerous stare.

Bearing the pressure, Yan Yunning replied earnestly. “I don’t want that.”

“You—” Prince Xuan’s expression instantly turned cold and grave.

The waiting maidservants and eunuchs dropped to their knees with a thud, breathing as quietly as they could.

“Father, I only feel that raising a child is quite exhausting — better to let His Highness the Crown Prince teach and raise the child himself, so he can experience what you went through. Then he won’t throw such fits at you anymore.” Yan Yunning pressed on with her explanation, steeling herself.

Prince Xuan’s expression eased. What could Yanyu possibly teach a child?

He’d better not frighten his grandchild to pieces.

“If Father wants to raise the child, then let Father do it. This Crown Prince has no habit of holding infants.” Xuan Yanyu curved the corner of his lips, murmuring quietly, “With Father raising the child, it won’t disturb us.”

Yan Yunning raised her hand to shield her face and shot him a look. “No habit — His Highness the Crown Prince had best get into the habit.”

With one disobedient son already, bringing in one disobedient grandchild on top of that — was Prince Xuan not afraid of being vexed to death?

And if it turned out to be a sweet little daughter, how could she bear to hand her off to someone else to raise?

After all, with Xuan Yanyu’s family’s bloodline being what it was, the odds of a daughter were quite high.

“I will raise the child personally. I don’t trust Yanyu with it, and there’s no need to discuss this matter further.” Prince Xuan settled it with a word.

He had the experience of raising Yanyu — raising Yanyu’s child next would only produce someone even more outstanding than Yanyu.

Yanyu’s child — just imagining it, he already had a whole plan for how to lavish the child with affection.

Yan Yunning sighed silently. Prince Xuan didn’t trust Xuan Yanyu to raise the child, and she didn’t trust Prince Xuan to raise the child either!

She’d heard from Ranran that a little princess had recently been born in the palace — Prince Xuan wasn’t even raising his own child, so why was he already staking a claim on hers and Xuan Yanyu’s child?

“There’s no out-arguing Father in this.” Xuan Yanyu said languidly.

When he was small, even his mother the Princess Consort couldn’t win against his Father, unless Father was willing to let her hold him for a while.

Yan Yunning shot him a sideways glance.

“My son, come here.” Prince Xuan picked up the gilded cup and personally poured Xuan Yanyu a measure of wine. “Have a drink with Father.”

Xuan Yanyu sat without moving.

Yan Yunning pinched his fingers and tilted her head, gesturing for him to go over.

Xuan Yanyu rose with a helpless air and returned to his original seat.

The Princess Consort of Xuan had no appetite left either. They had talked amongst themselves the entire time without giving her a second thought. Prince Xuan raising Yanyu from childhood was one thing — but now he wanted to raise Yanyu’s child too?

Not letting her raise her own son was one thing, but not letting her raise her own grandchild either?

Was that not taking it too far where she was concerned?

Seeing through her thoughts, Prince Xuan said in good cheer, “There will be opportunities. Yanyu won’t have just one child. Don’t be in such a hurry — just wait.”

Yan Yunning mechanically chewed the food in her mouth.

She had forgotten the man was the Crown Prince — one child was clearly out of the question!

“Indeed, Your Majesty is right.” The Princess Consort of Xuan smiled pleasantly.

“Come, Yanyu.” Prince Xuan, in excellent spirits, clinked his cup against Xuan Yanyu’s.

Catching this moment, Yan Yunning let a small smile cross her lips. In front of Xuan Xixi, Prince Xuan truly was like any ordinary father.

“Ningning.” The Princess Consort of Xuan’s phoenix eyes held a tender warmth. She placed a small bowl of lotus seed congee in front of Yan Yunning. “Try some.”

“Thank you, Royal Mother.” Yan Yunning’s little mouth turned sweet as sugar as she heaped praise on the Princess Consort.

The Princess Consort smiled and drew a step-hair ornament from her hair. “Come here, Ningning — let Royal Mother put this on for you.”

Xuan Yanyu curved his lips. Back at the estate in Taoyuan Town, she used to flatter him the exact same way, with almost the same words — and she had flattered him into buying her a whole pile of food.

“Flatter me, and I’m far more generous than your Royal Mother.” Prince Xuan gave a huff.

The Princess Consort dared only steal a glare. Was His Majesty implying she was stingy?

Yan Yunning didn’t miss a beat. “Father, you are the most commanding and majestic ruler I have ever laid eyes on.”

She had only ever met Prince Xuan as a ruler, so naturally he was the most commanding one.

“What’s more, you’ve raised His Highness the Crown Prince to be so remarkable. You have no idea — compared to the Third Prince of Qilan, no — the Third Prince of Qilan doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“He couldn’t even last a single move against His Highness. You truly are extraordinary.”

Prince Xuan broke into a hearty laugh. Qilan was no match for his Xuanzhao.

Naturally, one of Qilan’s successors-in-waiting was no match for his imperial son.

That was something he loved to hear.

It wasn’t arrogance on his part — Qilan was simply far inferior to his Xuanzhao.

Eunuch Feng, who had just returned, saw how heartily His Majesty was laughing and found himself smiling along.

The very next second, Prince Xuan looked toward him. “Eunuch Feng, go to the treasury and retrieve those treasured pearls I’ve been keeping — bring them as a gift to the Crown Princess.”

“Yes, this servant obeys.” Eunuch Feng turned around and trudged wearily back out.

Xuan Yanyu raised a fist to his lips, his eyes brimming with amused indulgence.

The most commanding ruler she’d ever met — how many rulers had she ever met, and yet she called him the most commanding.