Has there ever been an emperor who was shut out at the gates of his own palace?

Probably not.

So Xiao Jue felt he was probably among the unluckiest emperors.

Staring at the tightly shut palace gates and the bizarre phenomenon of not a single guard at the entrance—Baozi knew that guards would definitely open the gates upon seeing Xiao Jue, so he simply gave them all leave. The head guard on duty that day kowtowed frantically, refusing to accept the order, until Crown Prince Xiao bared his white, gleaming teeth and threatened sinisterly, “If you take leave, you might die. If you don’t take leave, you’ll definitely die. Choose for yourself!”

The guard captain had no choice but to tearfully cover his face and lead the on-duty guards in playing hooky.

On the tall, wide palace gates, there was actually a garish, colorful paper that made one want to die just looking at it. On the paper was drawn a “nude woman” that looked like a roasted pig, with large characters beside it: “Your Majesty, Grand Tutor, Foster Father, are ladyboys fun? Why bother coming back? Go continue playing, go on, go on, go on—”

Qin Chang Ge looked at that “nude woman” with a smile, nodding in evaluation, “His drawing skills have improved a bit this time—it looks like a relatively thin pig now.”

Xiao Jue helplessly tore down that morally offensive masterpiece from the Crown Prince, frowning, “You can still laugh? Our son won’t let us into our own home!”

“If he won’t let us in, then we won’t go in. It’s not like we don’t have other residences,” Qin Chang Ge shrugged indifferently. “Rather than go into the palace to see a deserted wife’s face, I’d rather return to my newly built Grand Tutor’s mansion for tea.”

She leisurely flicked her sleeves, saying, “Feihuan, let’s go see my new house.”

“Hey!” Xiao Jue panicked, grabbing her arm. “You woman, don’t you miss our son at all? Are you really not going in? You have a Grand Tutor’s mansion, but the palace is my home.”

“Who says I don’t miss him? I just never indulge his temper,” Qin Chang Ge shook her head. “Your Majesty, your son has been severely offended by us this time. If one or two of us had run off, leaving a few to keep him company might have been better, but we all disappeared completely, leaving him alone in the palace. Naturally, the more he thinks about it, the more tragic he feels, and the more he thinks, the more vicious he becomes. Let me tell you, resentful wives are terrifying—they’re psychologically unhealthy. He’s been building up energy for so long just waiting to torment us. Right now is his peak vindictive period, and I don’t plan to face him head-on. If you want to go, go yourself.”

She randomly grabbed a piece of paper, scribbled a few words, sealed it, and handed it to Xiao Jue. “A’Jue, please take this letter to His Highness the Crown Prince, and also…”

She affectionately grasped Xiao Jue’s hands and stared into his eyes: “Take care of yourself.”

Has there ever been an emperor who climbed walls at his own palace?

Probably not.

So Xiao Jue had already created his second imperial record today.

The palace gates were very tall and wide, but they still couldn’t stop a master like him. However, kicking down doors at his own front entrance would really damage imperial dignity, so Xiao Jue had to pinch his nose and climb the wall. Fortunately, the vast square in front of the palace gates had been cleared especially clean today, with not a single idle person who could have the honor of witnessing from afar the magnificent sight of the Xiliang Emperor climbing walls.

Xiao Jue suspected this must have been arranged by Crown Prince Xiao—he deliberately wanted him to climb walls.

Using his lightness skill to mount the wall, a row of crossbow bolts immediately shot from the watchtower with fierce momentum. Xiao Jue didn’t dare take them head-on, flipping backward in a somersault to avoid them and landing atop the watchtower. Standing high on the palace walls, he shouted, “It’s me!”

Guard Commander Xia Houjue poked his head out, carefully looked at Xiao Jue, and said in shock, “Your Majesty!”

Xiao Jue, standing atop the watchtower, glared at him with a dark expression, “Are you confused! You dare shoot at me too!”

Xia Houjue fell to his knees with a thud, kowtowing, “Your Majesty, forgive this subject… I just received orders from His Highness the Crown Prince, saying someone would break into the palace gates at this hour and instructing me to greet them with crossbows. For anyone who dares offend our Xiliang’s national dignity, I should shoot them mercilessly. When I rushed over and saw a figure entering, I immediately ordered the attack… I didn’t know it was Your Majesty…”

It’s offending your Crown Prince’s imperial dignity, isn’t it? How impressive! Standing in the cold wind of the lonely heights, Xiao Jue hissed fire through his teeth… Son, you’re ruthless! Making your father climb walls is one thing, but making your father flip somersaults too!

Reluctantly climbing down from the watchtower, Xiao Jue was guided by the trembling Xia Houjue to the imperial palanquin that eunuchs had hurriedly brought over, returning to Longzhang Palace. Along the way, eunuchs and palace maids all bowed with hands folded, retreating to the sides upon seeing the imperial palanquin. Xiao Jue carefully observed their expressions… why did they all look so strange? Seeming both happy and worried, with peculiar expressions?

“Hey, has he arrived?” Crown Prince Xiao crouched on the throne in Longzhang Palace, asking several little eunuchs who were peering through the door cracks with a sinister smile.

“Soon, soon, we can see the imperial palanquin!” Youtiao’er loyally reported enemy movements to his master, while pulling away a little eunuch who was crouching too close. “Idiot, I told you not to touch the door!”

“Bring the knife!” Baozi extended his hand toward Old Yu Hai.

Poor Old Yu Hai stood with hands spread, tears streaming down his face as he shook his head continuously, “Your Highness, stop playing, stop playing…”

“What playing?” Baozi’s big eyes glared, becoming even rounder like pearls. “I’m serious!”

“Ahhhh!!!”

Stepping onto the throne’s armrest, Baozi stood horizontally with his blade, his robes flowing in the wind. “I remember someone’s teachings—to make a lasting impression, you have to be ruthless. Damn it, every time it’s me who gets the ruthless treatment. Now the tables have turned, and it’s their turn.”

He cackled a few times, then suddenly remembered something and asked Youtiao’er, “Just one imperial palanquin?”

“Yes.”

Slumping dejected onto the throne, Baozi said despondently, “I still can’t get her…”

“He’s here! He’s here!”

“Aha!” Baozi let out a strange cry, leaping up and snatching the small sharkskin dagger that Old Yu Hai was clutching desperately to his chest. He waved it wildly in the air in some unrecognizable flourish and shouted, “Cry! Cry! All of you cry your hearts out! Whoever cries beautifully will be heavily rewarded later!”

With a “thud,” Old Yu Hai, who had recently developed heart problems from serving the Crown Prince, finally had another attack.

“Longzhang Palace doors are also closed? Playing these tricks is very amusing?” Xiao Jue got off the imperial palanquin and looked with mixed laughter and tears at Longzhang Palace with its doors slightly ajar.

Xia Houjue looked worriedly at Longzhang Palace, about to remind His Majesty of the Crown Prince’s malicious behavior, but before he could speak, shrill, panicked cries of indeterminate gender had already pierced the silent inner palace.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is committing suicide!”

“Your Highness! Your Highness! Don’t! Don’t!”

“Help!”

Mixed in was a child’s clear, bright voice: “Get out of the way, all of you get out of my way! I’m an unlucky child whose father doesn’t love him, mother doesn’t care for him, foster father abandoned him, and uncle ignores him! What’s the point of living?”

Xia Houjue’s mind thundered—this has gone too far!

Just as he was about to rush forward, a black shadow flashed beside him, flying like thunder and lightning with unprecedented fierce speed, like a black hurricane that instantly swept into Longzhang Palace.

“Bang!”

The moment Longzhang Palace doors were knocked open.

A bucket of slop immediately flipped down from above the heavy palace doors!

“Splash!”

The great, wise, benevolent, steadfast, handsome, noble, and extraordinarily distinguished Qian Yuan Emperor of Xiliang immediately became a drenched chicken reeking of sourness.

The drenched chicken emperor paid no attention, carrying the sour smell of slop as he swept in like a whirlwind toward the small figure on the throne who was desperately gesturing at his own neck with a sharkskin dagger like he was slaughtering a chicken.

Baozi’s eyes widened. Eh? Before he could complete one movement, his father had already swept in? Although his scheme had succeeded, his flying speed seemed a bit too fast, didn’t it? When had his father’s lightness skill become so fierce? Seeing that slop-splashing shadow about to reach him, Baozi belatedly realized that once his father caught him, he would simultaneously and heroically become a slop-covered crown prince. He immediately threw down the knife with a strange cry and flipped behind the throne.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Xiao Jue reached out and grabbed his bastard son, laughing as he hugged him tightly, saying, “Son, Father missed you!”

He pulled the small, soft body into his embrace.

Baozi immediately became a slop-covered bun from a sewer.

Baozi was furious, grabbing his father’s imperial neck and shaking him desperately, “You have the nerve to say that! You abandoned me! You all abandoned me! You heartless bunch!”

Xiao Jue let his son’s weak strength scratch him painlessly, only smiling as he gently patted his back, “Yes, yes, heartless, heartless…” While carefully examining Baozi’s face, “Let me see, have you lost weight?”

He looked at the bastard child who was strangling his neck, covered in stench but with a face full of smiles, his eyes full of heartache.

Baozi’s murderous gaze met his father’s eyes.

Father’s sunshine was so scorching, Father’s smile was so scorching, Father’s words were so scorching!

He suddenly broke down.

His hands loosened, and he also forgot about the slop on himself. The anger he had accumulated for half a year, ready to make a big scene because of being abandoned, suddenly deflated. Nearly half a year of longing and grievances burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam. Baozi threw himself forcefully into Xiao Jue’s arms and wailed loudly.

“Wuwu! When I’m angry, I eat desperately, and I’ve gotten fat again!”

Xiao Jue burst out laughing, but then felt his nose tingle. He gently patted his son while looking up at the sky, forcing back the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

He heard that little pig grunting and sniffling in his arms, desperately nuzzling and rubbing, smearing tears all over his shoulder while still sobbing intermittently, “You bastard… can you… not be… so sentimental?”

Xiao Jue looked up at the sky speechlessly, worriedly contemplating what his fierce son—raised among commoners and cultivated by Qin Chang Ge’s unconventional teaching methods—would be like when he sat on the golden throne of Dayi Hall. What kind of character would he have?

After thinking for a long time without an answer, Xiao Jue stopped thinking about it and smiled softly—whatever character he had, he believed Rong’er would be the best. If he could admit it early, if Chang Ge accepted him in the future, then he could pass the throne to him early and accompany Chang Ge in traveling the world, enjoying the scenery of all four seas. How wonderful that would be?

By then, he wouldn’t cry anymore, would he?

Xiao Jue smiled gently… Son, I long for you to grow up, yet I fear you growing up. How could being emperor be as carefree as being this fierce crown prince?

Looking sideways, the small body in his arms had already quieted down. Xiao Jue looked lovingly at the small face on his shoulder, long eyelashes quietly drooping, breathing steady—after making a scene that tired him out, Baozi had finally calmed down and fallen peacefully asleep.

Carefully placing his son on the couch, smelling the slop odor on both himself and his son, he wanted to wake his son for a bath but couldn’t bear to disturb his sweet dreams. He silently waved his hand, indicating the eunuchs should withdraw and prepare his bath.

When he emerged refreshed from his bath, he saw Baozi had already awakened, changed clothes, and was sitting on the couch with a gloomy expression, deep in thought. Xiao Jue went over to pinch his cheek, knowing he absolutely couldn’t mention what had just happened, because Crown Prince Xiao would definitely become angry from embarrassment at feeling foolish. He simply said nothing and ordered the meal to be served.

During the meal, Baozi was absent-minded, looking like he wanted to ask something but stubbornly didn’t want to ask. Xiao Jue understood clearly but suppressed his laughter, pretending not to know while personally serving his son food. “Come, eat, eat.”

Baozi stared blankly as the endless stream of food piled mountain-high before him, mechanically and tasteless stuffing it down bite by bite, his movements robotic, his expression dull.

Xiao Jue glanced at him while mentally cursing a certain heartless mother: Don’t you know your son misses you? How can you bear not to see him, you heartless woman who’s crueler than any man!

Halfway through the meal, when his belly was already bulging high, Baozi finally couldn’t take it anymore.

He forcefully slammed his silver chopsticks onto the jade bowl, and with the crisp clinking sound, Baozi shouted loudly, “Where’s my mother! Where’s my foster father! Where are Uncle Qi and Uncle Rong!”

Hearing the last name, Xiao Jue’s smile faded slightly, then he smiled and said, “At the Grand Tutor’s mansion, I suppose.”

“Why didn’t they come?” Baozi turned to look at him, his big eyes watery.

“Because your mother is thin-skinned,” Xiao Jue suddenly understood Qin Chang Ge’s mentality and felt quite helplessly that he really wasn’t cut out for sowing discord. He honestly analyzed his son’s mother for him, “Your mother knows you’re definitely going to make a scene, and she feels guilty herself, not knowing how to explain to you, so she ran away.”

There was probably also the fear of collapsing under Baozi’s tears and making a fool of herself too, Xiao Jue speculated about Qin Chang Ge with malicious intent.

“She can run for a while, but not forever,” Baozi viciously tore off a chicken leg and banged it on the jade bowl. “I represent the righteous small universe, and sooner or later I’ll eliminate you!”

Xiao Jue helplessly pulled out a piece of paper from his chest, “Your mother gave this to you.”

Baozi, who had just been full of resentment and anger, wanting to eliminate someone, immediately turned around with shining eyes, “Mine? For me?”

Ignoring his father’s instantly darkening expression, Baozi snatched the note and unfolded it to read.

“Aha!”

With a whoosh, His Highness the Crown Prince shot out the door, and his father’s mouthful of soup was completely blown over by the wind he created.

“Where are you going!”

“Grand Tutor’s mansion! Don’t wait for me to come back for dinner!” Someone casually waved his little chubby hand and instantly disappeared from the palace entrance.

Xiao Jue gloomily stared at the knocked-open palace doors—this world is really unfair. I climbed walls, flipped somersaults, got doused in slop, coaxed and persuaded, finally managing to appease the little demon king, while you didn’t even enter the door. With just one little note, you made him forget past grievances and rush toward you happily. You, you, you, you—you’re the most fierce!

The more Xiao Jue thought about it, the more tragic he felt. He simply stopped eating too, got up and headed outside. Forget it, I’ll go find that woman and make her compensate me for my losses.

He ran into Old Jia Duan, who was cheerfully carrying a mountain of memorials to be reviewed and tottering toward Longzhang Palace. Peering through the gaps in the memorials, he could barely make out Xiao Jue’s figure and was about to perform a risky bow when Xiao Jue didn’t even stop, “No need for ceremony!” and strode around him to leave.

Old Jia Duan cried out sadly, “Your Majesty… state affairs…”

“You’ve all been handling them for so many days, do you care about one more day?” The increasingly governance-weary emperor waved his hand and once again went out to chase women.

Leaving behind Old Jia Duan, who had hoped in vain for a night off, staring speechlessly at the sky.

“Oh my god! This is too blissful!”

Baozi circled around Chu Feihuan left and right, beaming with joy and forgetting about settling scores with anyone. With a whoosh, he jumped onto Chu Feihuan’s back, hugging his neck and laughing loudly, “I love this height!”

Chu Feihuan smiled gently as he supported him, saying, “You’ve gotten fat again. Secretly tell me, how much snacking did you sneak?”

“Do I need to sneak?” Baozi smiled proudly. “When you were all away, I was the biggest. I could eat as much as I wanted. In Guantang Palace, under the mattress on my bed, there are pine nut candies everywhere. I sleep in a pile of candy every day—it’s so blissful…”

“Be careful your mother doesn’t find out and confiscate your candy for the next thirty years.”

“Why should I fear her? I’ve been regent! Has she ever been regent? By rank, she should bow to me when she sees me now…”

“Your mother is here.”

“Gah!!!”

Baozi, who had been bragging arrogantly, whooshed down and hastily called out sweetly and crisply, “Mother, I missed you to death—”

No response.

Hmm…

Looking at the still tightly closed door, Baozi turned back with a face full of resentment, glaring sinisterly at Chu Feihuan—this world is unlivable, even foster father, such a pure person, has learned to lie… wuwu.

Puzzled, he looked at the door again and frowned, asking Chu Feihuan, “Foster father, why won’t mother come out? Where are Uncle Qi and Uncle Rong?”

“She’s talking with Uncle Qi. As for Uncle Rong,” Chu Feihuan paused, a layer of dark pain appearing in his eyes, though his expression remained as calm as ever, “he still has some matters to attend to. He’ll return in a while.”

Baozi said “oh” and, without thinking much, played with his fingers, saying, “Foster father, you’re well now. I’m really happy.”

But he didn’t hear Chu Feihuan’s response. He looked up puzzled, only to see foster father quickly turn his head away.

He heard foster father answer faintly, “Yes, I’m happy too.”

Warm hands gently embraced his waist, placing him on his lap. Chu Feihuan rested his chin on Baozi’s big head and said softly, “Rong’er.”

“Mm.”

Baozi responded quietly and obediently, only feeling that foster father’s mood seemed different from usual. A faint, melancholy atmosphere enveloped them, and he suddenly felt confused.

Chu Feihuan held the small child in his arms, feeling his childlike sweet warmth.

“I only hope you will always be as happy as you are now—you, all of you.”

He paused.

After a long while, he said, “At any time.”

A tightly closed door separated the family warmth and meaningful conversation outside from what was within. Inside, Qin Chang Ge, who had no time to pay attention to her precious son she hadn’t seen for half a year, sat calmly facing Qi Fan.

In the room, fragrant tea was about to boil, steam curling upward. A complete set of purple sandalwood tea ceremony implements was arranged on the table, the four treasures of tea brewing: wind stove, jade water vessel, Mengchen pot, and Ruochen cups—not one was missing.

Qi Fan was smiling as he spoke, “Bilian fragrant tea has a substantial body with tightly rolled leaves and tender buds. It’s suitable for the ‘upper pouring method’ of brewing tea.”

He carefully used a tea spoon to measure tea into the cup. The blue and white cup with gold trim was bright and lustrous. The Jade Mountain spring water, famous for being light and soft, became even finer after being boiled with quality black charcoal. The tea leaves opened into green flowers on the crystal-clear water surface, then gracefully and quietly sank to the bottom, straight and upright like budding green shoots.

Qi Fan’s fingers were nimble, his movements light. Scalding the pot, placing the tea, warming the cups, high pouring, low steeping, serving the tea—his entire technique was skilled and highly aesthetic. The room filled with rich fragrance, and the aftertaste was sweet in the mouth, refreshing one’s chest and mind with clear inspiration.

“…Blessed with the elegant qi of Ou and Min, endowed with the spiritual essence of mountains and rivers, dispelling constraints and clearing stagnation, achieving clarity and harmony, with tranquil purity within, high charm and quiet refinement…” Qin Chang Ge raised her cup to her lips and recited softly.

She lifted her moth-like eyebrows from above the teacup, looking at Qi Fan, “In the Inner River Continent, only wealthy noble families can possess such refined techniques. Especially the Central River tea ceremony, which claims to be its own school, has its outstanding qualities. Brother Qi, I’ve never had the honor of witnessing your skill all these years.”

“Rare treasures in the world are hard to recognize, idly facing tea classics remembering old friends…” Qi Fan smiled, not directly answering her words, but seeming to fall into reminiscence with a distant tone, “When my father taught me tea arts, Xiaotian was always the most impatient one. I would brew over and over, and he would get angry watching, wanting to leave but not leaving. Every time I had to pour out the brewed tea, he wouldn’t let me, drinking it himself until his belly was round. When I laughed at him, he said he couldn’t bear to let something I had worked so hard on be thrown away—it would be such a waste…”

He sighed softly and said no more.

Qin Chang Ge’s smile faded as she fell silent.

Qi Fan smiled and took a breath, saying, “I’m confused, talking about this with you, Master. Since you asked, there’s no need for Qi Fan to hide anymore. Master must already know—I’m from Central River.”

“I only learned recently,” Qin Chang Ge slowly turned her teacup, “When you appeared in Nanmin that day, I suspected your speed. If you hadn’t taken a route through Central River, there would have been no way for you to arrive so quickly. Your attitude toward the bell bird deepened my suspicions, and then there was that pile of explosives that day. That stuff is contraband—where did you get it on such short notice? I’ve always trusted those I employ and suspected those I don’t trust, so I never doubted you. But since you’re from Central River, I can roughly guess your background.”

She set down her teacup and looked into Qi Fan’s eyes, “You’re from the Central River rear clan lineage, aren’t you? That queen before Beitang Xiao, the one who was supposedly deposed for having an affair with Beitang Xiao’s older brother, the early-deceased King Chuan Beitang Ming—the Cold Queen—what relation is she to you?”

Qi Fan’s face slowly showed painful, dark sorrow, and he didn’t answer for a long time.

But Qin Chang Ge already understood and leaned back.

Back then, legend had it that Leng Xuerun and Beitang Ming had a son who died at birth. Calculating the timing, that child should have been Qi Fan, shouldn’t it?

Feihuan had given her information suggesting that Beitang Xiao’s cousin Beitang Yin had been keeping a low profile for years, staying out of politics, collecting many concubines, and having countless sons. At the time, she’d laughed at it and set it aside, though she was somewhat puzzled why Feihuan was suddenly collecting information on such a useless prince. With so many affairs to handle, she hadn’t paid attention, but now thinking back, Feihuan had been hinting to her.

Beitang Yin had adopted this orphaned royal child and mixed him in with his pile of sons, but Qi Fan himself was unwilling to stay in Central River, which he deeply hated, so he left early to wander the martial world.

“Xiaotian was a friend’s son to my adoptive father, born on the same day as me. He was also a poor soul with dead parents, sent to live with my family early. He and I were childhood friends.” Qi Fan smiled bitterly, “We all thought we would live and die together in this life. Who knew that bastard would abandon me and leave first…”

Qin Chang Ge said sadly, “In the end, I wronged him.”

“Master need not say such things,” Qi Fan smiled, “We swore an oath before you initially. Without you, Master, we two would have long turned to dust and ashes under the oppression of the powerful. This life, Master gave it, we return it—it’s only natural.”

Qin Chang Ge smiled bitterly and shook her head, stirring with the cup lid, “When did you know my identity?”

“Very early, but I never dared believe it,” Qi Fan said with relief, “Fortunately… Xiaotian never noticed…”

He fell silent for a long time, pointing to a small box beside him and saying apologetically, “But Master, I’m afraid I can’t continue following you. I want to take Xiaotian back to Central River for burial. As for whether I’ll return…” He sighed deeply, “I don’t know anymore…”

He raised his head, gazing toward the distant depths of the clouds, his eyes remote, “…I want to first visit all the places we walked together over the years—those mountains, rivers, scenery, cities, ports, and seas… I want to walk through them all once more…”

His gaze was empty and desolate. Even if occasional sparks appeared, they were just the lonely ashes of something burned out.

“Qi Fan,” Qin Chang Ge closed her eyes and said after a long while, “Go then.”

She smiled with self-deprecation, saying faintly, “Coming and going are all matters of fate. Our fate has ended, and there’s no need to force its continuation.”

Qi Fan stood solemnly and bowed deeply to her on the couch.

Three deep bows.

Qin Chang Ge’s expression was calm and her gaze cool as she slowly bowed back to Qi Fan, using the inclination of her soul to express her sincere gratitude and respect for this capable subordinate who had followed her through two lives and had always been utterly loyal.

The room was dim with no one lighting lamps. Wind entered through the window lattice but slowed down due to this moment’s solemn gravity. The wind lifted the hair of the founding empress and her close guard, blocking their gazes that were painful and reluctant to part.

Qin Chang Ge watched as Qi Fan picked up that small box and stood up.

At the moment he stood, she suddenly said:

“Qi Fan, without you both, there would have been no safe upbringing for Rong’er. I won’t repay the debt you’ve shown me personally, but for the kindness of protecting Rong’er, I must repay you.”

She looked at Qi Fan, who raised his head in surprise, and said slowly, “Actually, the ruler of Central River should originally have been Beitang Ming, who had a reputation for talent from a young age. However, he mysteriously died suddenly before Central River was established as a nation. If not for that, the nation of Central River should have been yours.”

“I’ll help you reclaim Central River.”

A long, long time later, in the empty room after everyone had left, Qin Chang Ge in the dark silence finally slowly turned her head, looking at a tall figure that had appeared outside the window at some unknown time.

“A’Jue, the world is being gathered into our grasp step by step, yet those we value are leaving us one by one. In our lifetime, how many more partings must we endure?”

The figure faded, pearl curtains flickered and swayed, and the next moment she was already wrapped in a warm embrace.

“No matter how many people leave, Chang Ge,”

His burning breath nestled against her delicate ear, that heat seeming to want to warm all the bone-deep desolation and sorrow in the world.

“…Please believe I will always be by your side.”