His words carried a heavy scent of gunpowder, like he was intentionally stepping on Zhao Tuo’s toes, jumping hard to really tick him off. He wanted to get Zhao Tuo all riled up. After saying this, he stared at Zhao Tuo’s expression, trying to figure something out from his face. Unfortunately, Qin Yuanxi’s skills weren’t enough; he didn’t see anything on Zhao Tuo’s face.
The little prince was still babbling, but Zhao Tuo had stopped entertaining him. He handed the child over to the nanny nearby and bent down to pick up his sword, turning to head back inside.
That attitude was quite indifferent, and Qin Yuanxi’s anger flared up instantly. If someone didn’t know better, they’d think he was the one who had done something wrong. What was this? All too accustomed!
Following him, tossing the portrait onto the table, Qin Yuanxi acted all high and mighty, holding his teacup, and beckoned Zhao Tuo, “This is the portrait of beauties just arrived today. It’s a bit boring to look at it alone, and my eyes get tired after a while. Since you’re free, why not join me?”
“This is the legitimate sister of the Left Commander, just turned seventeen. Rumor has it she’s quiet, good at literature and art, and the top talent among the ladies in the capital!”
Following orders, the eunuch opened a portrait, and Qin Yuanxi casually commented, “She’s quite good-looking, just a bit young. Only seventeen, a bit of a pity.”
“Next one, oh my, a stunning beauty. Could this be the daughter of Lord Li? The one they call the top beauty in the capital? Truly deserving of her reputation, this girl is truly a celestial being.” Qin Yuanxi’s expression was exaggerated, “Such a beautiful girl, bringing into the palace, what a, sigh, waste of her youth.”
Musing aloud, Qin Yuanxi assessed Zhao Tuo with his gaze. Seeing Zhao Tuo’s furrowed brows, appearing quite impatient, Qin Yuanxi’s interest was piqued. The more annoyed Zhao Tuo seemed, the happier Qin Yuanxi became. It meant his trip wasn’t in vain.
“This one seems to be from the Jingzhao Yin’s family, right? The girl looks spirited, even wielding a sword in the portrait, and that red outfit suits her well,” Qin Yuanxi expressed his satisfaction, “Not bad, not bad at all. It’s all so good that I’m dazzled. I really can’t figure out which one is better. What do you think?”
Suddenly getting closer, Qin Yuanxi walked to Zhao Tuo’s side, lowering his voice a bit, deliberately asking, “If you had to choose, which one would you pick?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
The two chilly words made Qin Yuanxi want to laugh a bit.
But looking at Zhao Tuo’s expression, he also felt a bit sentimental.
This version of Zhao Tuo felt somewhat familiar yet unfamiliar. The coldness resembled the early days when Lu Bohuan confronted him, that reserved and restrained feeling at the beginning of their relationship. However, now there was much less restraint, and he seemed more liberated.
Relying on the favoritism I have for you, you’re getting quite audacious. Hmph!
“How can it be casual? This is a big deal,” Qin Yuanxi patted his shoulder and continued, “Choose someone you like. In the future, the little one will have to call her mother. You have to pick someone pleasing. Would you hand over your child without considering it?”
“You want to adopt the Crown Prince?!” Zhao Tuo’s expression immediately changed.
Qin Yuanxi spoke calmly, “How could it be called adoption? I’m planning a grand marriage, a proper wedding to welcome an empress. Naturally, the Crown Prince will be raised under the empress’s care. Otherwise, what? Hand him over to you? Well, that’s not impossible, but what identity would you use to raise my Crown Prince?”
As if he could hear Zhao Tuo grinding his teeth, Qin Yuanxi felt delighted!
Since that day, every two days, Qin Yuanxi made sure a new batch of portraits was sent to Zhao Tuo. When the portraits couldn’t keep up, he had some portraits of beauties hidden in the palace sent over. He also, against the norm, reduced his contact with Zhao Tuo.
He left the people in the Moonlit Pavilion, basically in a state of neglect. Only the little prince would still be taken there daily to visit his biological father.
In this aspect, Qin Yuanxi handled it quite well. The child was still young and needed effective communication with both parents. During the day, he sent the little one to Zhao Tuo to play, bringing him back after court sessions. The little guy adapted well, giggling happily every day. Seeing the soft and squishy little one, Qin Yuanxi’s frustration seemed to diminish a bit.
Reducing frustration was one thing, but it didn’t mean that Qin Yuanxi’s affairs with Zhao Tuo were over just like that.
The rumors about selecting a consort had almost reached their peak. Those who needed to scheme had pretty much done so. Qin Yuanxi flipped through the list of ministers who sent the portraits, and he could anticipate that those who would oppose the establishment of a male consort would likely be among them. As the saying goes, if he were to establish a male consort, it would harm the vested interests of these individuals, and they wouldn’t easily let go. They needed special ‘care.’
The first wave of rumors had settled, and the second wave was about to come. Inside the palace, some unfavorable rumors had spread, mostly about the emperor’s alleged cruelty. However, there was no concrete evidence, and the rumors seemed a bit far-fetched. Since His Majesty decided to officially choose a consort, he had favored several palace maids successively. It was said that these maids had quietly disappeared, and no one in the palace had seen them since.
Most likely, they had met a tragic fate!
Simultaneously, Qin Yuanxi made some moves within the court. The first ones to be targeted were those ministers on the list that Lu Bohuan had given him. Qin Yuanxi selected a few from the list, cross-referenced them with those who sent the beauty portraits, and found fault with them. They were either punished, demoted, or transferred to less peaceful positions, forcing them to leave their original posts.
When facing minor setbacks in his career, Qin Yuanxi never let it divert more attention to the emperor’s private affairs.
Now, only the final step remained.
After adding his annotations, Qin Yuanxi handed the documents to the chief eunuch by his side, instructing, “Same as before, discreetly send these people away. Don’t let anyone outside know.”
“I understand.”
“Also, ensure that the compensation funds for them are sufficient. For those unwilling to return home, find suitable places for them. If they want to start a small business or something, help them if you can,” Qin Yuanxi reiterated, “These girls have a tough life. If I find out that you’re secretly withholding from them, I won’t spare you!”
“We dare not, Your Majesty. I will personally oversee this and absolutely won’t allow such a thing to happen. Your Majesty can rest assured.”
“That’s good.” Qin Yuanxi waved his hand, pressing his slightly throbbing temple, “Hasn’t the Crown Prince arrived yet? Why is it taking so long?”
“Judging by the time, he should be here shortly.”
As they spoke, the cries of a child echoed, and Qin Yuanxi, with his eyes half-closed, immediately opened them upon hearing the sound. As soon as he heard his son crying, he sprung up from his chair and headed out to receive him.
“Why is he crying?”
Before reaching the doorway, he saw Zhao Tuo entering with the child in his arms. His expression seemed a bit bewildered, matching the color of the child’s face.
The little one was so tiny, held in Zhao Tuo’s arms, fists clenched tightly, crying incessantly. His face turned red from crying, and upon seeing this, Qin Yuanxi couldn’t help but feel a surge of heartache.
“Why is he crying like this? How did you guys try to soothe him?”
Zhao Tuo hesitated for a moment but explained, “He has a bit of a fever. He’s been crying in the Moonlight Pavilion.”
“A fever?” Qin Yuanxi reached out and felt the child’s forehead, confirming the warmth. He became even more anxious, “If he has a fever, why did you bring him over? Why didn’t you call the court physician? Are you all clueless? Summon Yan Shaoning; can’t you see that a child with a fever is an urgent matter?”
After scolding, he glared fiercely at Zhao Tuo, “Are you really his father?”
Caught off guard by the scolding, Zhao Tuo explained, “The court physician has already been summoned. I brought him here because you said you wanted to see him.”
“And you couldn’t send someone to inform me? You had to bring a feverish child out? Don’t you know that children shouldn’t be exposed to the wind?” Qin Yuanxi looked at the rosy-cheeked little one, feeling deeply distressed, “Forget it, I don’t want to argue with you about this. If you had a bit of concern for both of us, would it be like this now?”
“You only care about yourself, nothing else matters to you!”
The reprimand was a bit too harsh. Zhao Tuo clenched his fists, wanting to explain that he brought the child here because it was closer to the royal physician’s quarters, making it faster for them to arrive. He had been careful to shield the child from the wind all along. However, he couldn’t utter a single word. Faced with Qin Yuanxi’s accusations, he stood there like a fool.
When Yan Shaoning arrived with several physicians from the royal physician’s quarters, the atmosphere in the study became quite peculiar. The little prince was still crying, and the Emperor, standing nearby, looked incredibly distressed. General Zhao, on the other hand, stood there like a block of wood, feeling somewhat redundant. That wasn’t the crucial point, though; the odd expression on Zhao Tuo’s face was.
Yan Shaoning wanted to take a closer look, but Qin Yuanxi stopped him, saying, “Physician, come and take a look. Xiao Bao has a fever, and he’s been crying non-stop.”
When a child falls ill, it’s the most heart-wrenching thing for adults. The child is so small, unable to express where it hurts, only crying. The child’s cries make the adults feel uneasy too. Yan Shaoning examined him and diagnosed a common cold. He began writing a prescription, but before he could finish, Qin Yuanxi immediately followed him.
“Can you prescribe something less bitter? The child is so small; he can’t stomach it,” Qin Yuanxi requested.
This was a very practical concern. Qin Yuanxi himself couldn’t tolerate overly bitter medicine, let alone the little one. Just the thought of the child having to drink that dark concoction made Qin Yuanxi uneasy. If he could drink it on behalf of the child, he would undoubtedly do so without minding the bitterness. Unfortunately, he couldn’t, so he could only gaze expectantly at Yan Shaoning, placing all his hopes on the physician.
Zhao Tuo observed all the anxiety, tension, heartache, and urgency. The more he looked, the tighter his brow furrowed. It felt like a dark cloud was pressing against his chest, ready to unleash a storm at any moment.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
