The little one clutched the Grand Emperor’s sleeve tightly, his voice heavy with congestion. “I am sorry, Father Emperor.”
The Grand Emperor slapped his hand down on the dining table with a sharp crack. Beneath the dragon-embroidered robe, his hand trembled with anger. When he lowered his eyes and saw the little one hanging his small head in aggrievement, his heart ached and stung.
He had raised this little one with great care from the time he was a tiny newborn — it was not so that his precious darling could be made to suffer like this.
“Imperial grandfather, do not be angry.” The little one was quite adept at coaxing people; his small hand patted the Grand Emperor’s back.
“Imperial grandfather’s precious darling is far better than your Father Emperor.” The Grand Emperor was very pleased.
When Yuner was small, he had never been like this — not half as adorable as his precious darling.
The little one stole a glance at Xuan Yanyu and, meeting his Father Emperor’s ambiguous half-smile, quietly looked away again.
He had indeed played up his pitiful state just a little in front of the imperial grandfather and imperial grandmother. If he had not cried, Father Emperor would not have come to see him.
He simply could not understand it — he was so lovable, so well-behaved. Why did Father Emperor always treat him with such cold indifference?
“These two days, you will take charge of Xiaoxiao while your Father Emperor and your mother empress leave the palace to pray for blessings on behalf of Xuanzhao.” The Grand Emperor carried Xuan Yunchen over to Xuan Yanyu and placed the little one into his arms.
He was most reluctant to part with his precious darling, but just now, Xiaoxiao had cried and asked him whether he might spend two days at his Father Emperor’s side. How could he bear to disappoint his precious darling?
Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow and did not refuse. The Grand Emperor and the Empress Dowager gave careful, repeated instructions and only then left Taiyi Hall with peace of mind.
“Father Emperor.” The little one looked at Xuan Yanyu with a cautious glance.
“Xuan Yunchen — playing pitiful? I am not your imperial grandfather.”
For a brief moment, an awkward flicker crossed the little one’s finely-featured face.
“Say what you want to eat. Feed yourself — when you are done, come back to the bedchamber with me.” Xuan Yanyu paid him no further attention and began his meal at his own unhurried pace.
“Oh.” The little one silently sighed and obediently leaned against Xuan Yanyu’s arms, taking small bites of his rice.
Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow, picked out some of the little one’s favorite dishes, and said with a faint smile, “Tell me then — how did you come to be wronged today?”
“It was my aunt’s younger brother. While I was writing, he kept bumping my arm. I told him not to disturb me, and then he started crying.” Recalling it, the little one pursed his lips again.
Xuan Yanyu tilted his head slightly and looked at the little one fuming with indignation, suppressing the urge to laugh.
Ever since Qilan came under the dominion of Xuanzhao, he had not touched Qi Qingchen — who was no threat to him. After Yan Shiyao relocated to Xuanzhao, Ye’an had reported that Qi Qingchen had separated from his concubine. He had taken his daughter by the concubine and settled together with Yan Shiyao within Xuanzhao city. It had taken him three years to finally wed Yan Shiyao, and one month after Xiaoxiao was born, Yan Shiyao too had given birth. Qi Qingchen had named his son Qi Xingqian. After Ningning left, Yan Shiyao had felt deeply for Xiaoxiao and would often slip away to look in on him near the Crown Prince’s residence. Over time, the two children had come to know each other. For the present, Yan Shiyao harbored no other intentions, and he had never intervened.
“Father Emperor.” Remembering how Yan Yunning had patted him earlier, the little one reddened and said, “I was also hit today… hit on my…”
He could not bring himself to say the rest. At the thought of Yan Yunning, Xuan Yunchen pursed his lips — he found himself wanting to go back to the residence.
The little one looked at Xuan Yanyu with a conflicted gaze, cradling his cheek in his hand, contemplating whether or not to return to the residence.
The person at the residence might not necessarily be his mother empress. And it was a rare chance to be together with Father Emperor…
“Who dared strike you?” A fierce glint passed through the man’s eyes.
The little one lifted his small face. His eyes moved. “Father Emperor, she says she is your son’s mother empress. Would you have someone bring her to the palace? Please?”
That way, he would not have to return to the residence, and he could still stay at Father Emperor’s side.
Xuan Yanyu’s expression turned cold. Over these past years, many had tried to use Ningning’s likeness to enter the palace and seek favor — just as in years past, when tricks had been used to deceive Mu Shiqing.
He covered Xuan Yunchen’s ears and turned his gaze sideways to Ye’an, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Have Ye Chen deal with her. Do not let her appear before Xiaoxiao again.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Ye’an nodded and withdrew from Taiyi Hall.
The little one tilted his head in bewilderment, his bright eyes blinking steadily at Xuan Yanyu. The man released his hands and knocked on his forehead. “Hurry up and eat.”
“Oh.” The little one happily lowered his head and ate the dishes Xuan Yanyu had served him.
He felt that Father Emperor still liked him a little, after all.
——
After the midday meal, Xuan Yunchen lay on Xuan Yanyu’s bed and, in high spirits, hugged a soft pillow and rolled back and forth across it.
He lifted his eyes and noticed the portrait of Xuan Yanyu and Yan Yunning hanging above the bed, and blinked. In a soft, small voice, he asked the question he had long been curious about. “Father Emperor, why is the portrait hung in the center of the bed? And why is Xiaoxiao not painted into it?”
Xuan Yanyu stared at the portrait, falling briefly into a trance. He lowered his eyes and lightly scraped the little one’s nose with one finger, then said in an unhurried voice, “Your mother empress wanted it hung there. You are in the portrait — at the time, you were still in your mother empress’s womb.”
The little one nodded, his gaze settling on the portrait. The more he looked, the more it resembled the woman who had claimed to be his mother empress that very day.
“Father Emperor.” The little one tugged at the man’s sleeve and hesitated before speaking. “Did you have that woman who claims to be your son’s mother empress brought to the palace?”
Xuan Yanyu knitted his brow and redirected the subject. “Xuan Yunchen, this morning I was told you were falling ill tomorrow and could not attend your early-morning lesson — is that so?”
The little one shrank his neck back and said weakly, “No. Father Emperor must have misheard.”
Xuan Yanyu settled back lazily against the bed, looking on with amused interest at the little one hanging his head with a pitiful air.
“Your son was wrong. Your son should not have skipped morning lessons just to sleep a little longer.”
“Do not let it happen again.” The man pulled a brocade quilt over the little one. “Close your eyes. Nap.”
“Yes, Father Emperor. It will not happen again.” Xuan Yunchen gave an obedient nod.
He closed his eyes and rested for a moment, then opened them and reminded earnestly, “Father Emperor, do not forget to have someone bring that…”
“Xuan Yunchen!” Xuan Yanyu’s expression shifted, tinged with a cold edge. He fixed a cold stare on the little one, who had startled at the sudden sharpness, and spoke in a low, grave voice. “I am not jesting with you. If I ever hear you call another person your mother empress again — from that day forth, there is no need for you to call me Father Emperor.”
The little one’s eyes went crimson as he nodded. “Father Emperor… your son understands.”
“Very well — sleep.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice softened.
“Yes.” The little one’s shoulders gave small, jerking trembles as he held back his tears.
Xuan Yanyu pressed his lips together and gently patted the little one’s back, explaining in a quiet voice, “Xiaoxiao, your mother empress loves you very much. If she were to learn that you had called another person your mother empress, how deeply hurt she would be?”
The little one wanted to say something but held back. He truly felt that the woman at the Crown Prince’s residence — the one who had held him today — was his mother empress. So very familiar. So very close. He had shaken her hand away earlier. Would she be very hurt?
“Father Emperor, your son wants to go back to the residence.” After a moment’s hesitation, Xuan Yunchen sat up, threw off the brocade quilt, and made to climb down from the bed.
Father Emperor would not be bringing her to the palace. He had better go back to the residence and see for himself. He could have one look and then come back to the palace — it was all the same.
The man stretched out a long arm and blocked him. His deep voice carried unmistakable displeasure. “Going back to the residence for what?”
The little one bit his lip and dared not look up, stumbling over his words. “Your son… your son…”
The man’s lips curved into a sardonic smile. “Going back to take a look at the one who claims to be your mother empress? Is that it? Did what your Father Emperor said just now not sink in at all?”
This, then, was the good child Ningning had given her life to bring into the world.
——