Compared to Xie Yanlai pacing restlessly in the duty room, Xie Yanfang had been sitting steadily for hours without moving, with only officials and clerks coming and going around him.

The documents on the desk seemed endless, yet Xie Yanfang’s appearance and demeanor showed not the slightest sign of fatigue.

Did Deng Yi think this would tire him?

Though he was a noble family’s young master who had never served as a minor official like Deng Yi, the affairs of a great family were no less numerous than those of a county or prefecture, and perhaps even more complex.

As for Deng Yi, who had leaped from a minor official to a high position, how eagerly was he pursuing advancement? Was he still giving gifts as before?

If he were still giving gifts now, Xie Yanfang couldn’t help but laugh softly as he held his brush—that would truly be a joke.

A eunuch hurried in and respectfully bowed: “Master Xie.”

Xie Yanfang looked at him, recognizing him as one of the Emperor’s eunuchs, and asked with a smile: “Does His Majesty have any instructions?”

The eunuch smiled helplessly: “His Majesty—” He glanced around, and the officials who were listening attentively quickly retreated.

Xie Yanfang said to the eunuch: “It’s all right, speak freely. Whatever His Majesty says is acceptable.”

His Majesty was the supreme ruler, and even though he was only six years old, he was still above ten thousand people. Whatever he said was the golden word, and even if he said something inappropriate, with Xie Yanfang present, there was no need to worry; he could turn the inappropriate into appropriate.

The eunuch understood Xie Yanfang’s meaning and smiled more respectfully, saying: “His Majesty wants to see Master Xie. He’s refusing to eat and throwing a tantrum. We servants have no way to handle him—”

His Majesty was a child, but when he threw a tantrum, they didn’t dare intervene—His Majesty rarely lost his temper, but once he did, no one could console him.

They hadn’t noticed this before, but since the Empress was no longer in the palace, they had experienced it.

Since the Empress left, His Majesty wouldn’t allow the lights to be extinguished at night. The palace was brightly lit, he couldn’t sleep well or eat properly, and he had begun to throw tantrums.

But for court sessions and studies, His Majesty was diligent and serious, never complaining. They had no way to ask officials to persuade him—these kinds of emotions and tempers behind closed doors could only be soothed, taught, and restrained by family members, and now His Majesty had no family in the palace.

So this one uncle was extremely important.

This time, His Majesty was throwing a tantrum, saying he wanted to see his uncle.

After hearing this, Xie Yanfang didn’t immediately rise, but instead asked: “Is His Majesty looking for his uncle, or for Master Xie?”

The eunuch was taken aback. What was the difference? Wasn’t Master Xie the uncle, and wasn’t the uncle Master Xie?

“Think about what His Majesty said,” Xie Yanfang prompted him.

The eunuch thought for a moment and confirmed: “He said he wanted to find his uncle.”

Xie Yanfang smiled slightly and pointed outward: “Then go find Xie Yanlai. He’s on duty here today.”

The eunuch was stunned. Xie Yanlai?

Of course, he knew who Xie Yanlai was—also His Majesty’s uncle, and his position was not low either. Currently, all the imperial guards in the palace were under his command. But with Xie Yanfang present, why would His Majesty need to see any other uncle?

So was Xie Yanfang too busy and send his brother to comfort the child?

“Go on,” Xie Yanfang, seeing the eunuch’s wild thoughts, said, “Once His Majesty sees him, he won’t throw a tantrum anymore.”

Really? the eunuch thought. His Majesty’s temper was quite fierce, but this seemingly gentle noble young master before him wouldn’t have a small temper either. He didn’t dare to offend either the Emperor or the Third Young Master Xie, so he could only obey them.

Let Xie Yanlai go see His Majesty, and if His Majesty had a temper, let him take it out on Xie Yanlai.

……

……

Xie Yanlai entered the Emperor’s bedchamber with a stern face. Before he could bow, he saw a child running toward him.

“Uncle!” Xiao Yu threw himself into his arms and hugged his waist.

The eunuch following behind was startled. Eh? Why wasn’t there a tantrum? Had His Majesty not seen which uncle had come?

Qi Gonggong followed with a smile: “Your Majesty, slow down.” Then he respectfully bowed to Xie Yanlai, “Commander.”

Xie Yanlai kept his face stern and used two fingers to lift Xiao Yu away: “I haven’t paid my respects yet.”

Xiao Yu swayed, steadied himself, and looked up at him, saying first: “Uncle, you’re excused from formalities.”

Qi Gonggong smiled and said: “When Your Majesty speaks with the Commander, we servants will wait outside.” With that, he walked out voluntarily and, seeing the eunuch still standing with his mouth agape, gave him a push.

The eunuch came to his senses—the child Emperor had a bad temper, Xie Yanfang had a bad temper, Master Deng Yi had a bad temper, and Qi Gonggong, the head of the inner palace, had an even worse temper—

Despite the smile on his face, how many eunuchs and palace maids had died by his hand in the inner palace recently?

The eunuch shuddered and hurriedly retreated with him.

“What did you want me for?” Xie Yanlai pushed the child away and asked sternly, glancing at the food table nearby. “I’m not going to feed you.”

Xiao Yu shook his head: “Uncle, I called you here to ask about something else.” Then he took his hand and led him inside, “Come sit over here.”

Xie Yanlai withdrew his hand but didn’t say anything more, following Xiao Yu inside.

The eunuch who had retreated to the door saw this scene and couldn’t help muttering: “So he was looking for this uncle.”

Qi Gonggong, walking ahead, heard him and said with a half-smile: “You see that now?”

The eunuch hurriedly caught up with Qi Gonggong, and they stood together outside the hall. Seeing Qi Gonggong’s expression, the eunuch immediately understood, smiled bitterly, and said ingratiatingly: “Why didn’t you give me a hint? I ran around in vain, making His Majesty wait.”

Qi Gonggong looked at him, a smile at the corners of his mouth, and said: “Because His Majesty didn’t say so.”

His Majesty had only said he wanted to find his uncle. His Majesty hadn’t given any further explanation, deliberately letting the listener misunderstand. How could he give this eunuch a hint?

The smile on Qi Gonggong’s lips turned melancholic. Perhaps everyone who becomes Emperor changes, even a six-year-old child.

……

……

A minor official placed tea on the desk.

“Master Xie, please have some tea,” he said respectfully. “Commander Xie has gone to see His Majesty. I don’t know what they’ll discuss. Shall I send someone to inquire?”

Xie Yanfang took the tea and said: “No need. He’s probably asking about the Empress.”

The matter of the Empress no longer being in the palace had not been announced to the court officials. They had only said that she was injured when rescuing Xiao Yu and needed to recuperate, so she would not attend court or receive visitors. The court officials didn’t mind; they preferred that she remain this way, recuperating and not appearing.

Of course, the people around Xie Yanfang all knew where the Empress had gone.

The minor official uttered an “oh” and smiled: “So His Majesty really was looking for Commander Xie.” Then he shook his head and complained: “This eunuch is so stupid, coming to disturb you, sir.”

Xie Yanfang smiled slightly: “It’s not his fault. His Majesty made him do this.”

The minor official was stunned. What did that mean?

“His Majesty deliberately let me know that he wanted to find his uncle,” Xie Yanfang said, “but the uncle he wanted to find wasn’t me.”

The Xie family was the young Emperor’s maternal family.

The eunuchs all knew that those surnamed Xie in court were the Emperor’s uncles.

But the eunuchs didn’t know that the Emperor addressed his Xie family uncles differently.

Previously, the young Emperor would call him Third Uncle, but since entering the court, the young Emperor simply addressed him as Master Xie out of respect.

The title “Uncle” had always belonged to only one person.

Xie Yanlai.