Jiang Yun pretended not to see him, and as usual, he approved the scroll in his hand and handed it to Gongsun Yang. He then put down his brush and sat on the small bed by the window, propping his forehead to rest.
On the small table by the bed, there is fruit wine and pastries.
Jiang Yun closed his eyes and soon felt a soft little thing sneaking up from below and into his arms.
The little thing secretly kissed his fingers, then got into a comfortable position, curled up in his arms, and fell asleep soundly. When Gongsun Yang returned, footsteps sounded outside, and the little one perked up his ears alertly, quickly slipped out, and hid in a flash.
Even more sensitive than when he was inside the egg.
Gongsun Yang was sharp. Through the curtain, he could see a small figure flashing by at a glance. He walked to the table with ease, lifted the tablecloth, and pulled out the little boy hiding below.
The kid couldn’t speak yet, and a pair of beautiful gemstone-like eyes were already glaring fiercely at him.
Jiang Yun stood up and walked over. Seeing this, he slightly raised the corner of his mouth and said, “It’s fine, let him down.”
Gongsun Yang gently put the little boy down, and the boy immediately turned around and pounced on Jiang Yun. Like a dog skin ointment, his eyes were watery, and he blinked pitifully.
Jiang Yun extended his finger and poked his fair and tender face.
“No more next time.”
“Jiang Nuo.”
He softly called out the boy’s name.
The little boy’s eyes curled, as if he understood, and he smiled brightly.
The entire Lanxin Palace knows that Xiao Huangsun has two faces. When facing the nannies and the palace attendants, he has a cold face and is indifferent to anyone. As soon as he arrives in front of His Highness the Crown Prince, he becomes a beautiful and obedient little rabbit.
The little boy wished he could stick to Jiang Yun for twelve hours a day, he often sneaked into the place where Jiang Yun was handling official affairs while the palace attendants were not paying attention.
Today was the same.
Looking into the little boy’s beautiful starry eyes, Jiang Yun felt a little soft-hearted. He put the little boy on the bed and discussed with him, “Gu still has something to deal with. You sleep by yourself for a while, alright?”
Jiang Nuo obediently nodded and rolled on the bed like a snowball, then lay on his small pillow, obediently closed his eyes, and performed in an instant before falling asleep in place.
Jiang Yun raised the corner of his mouth again, extended his finger, and poked the little kiddo’s chubby face.
Luo Changqing was brought in.
He nervously entered the hall and stood outside the curtain. Through the curtain, he couldn’t see the specific appearance of the Crown Prince inside, only a blurry golden figure could be seen.
Over the past year, Luo Changqing has fully witnessed Jiang Yun’s skills, and he no longer dares to see him as a weak and sickly Crown Prince with no talent other than a nominal reputation.
Luo Changqing followed the rules and etiquette in his salute, and a cold jade-like voice came from inside: “What does Guozhu want to see Gu for?”
“It-it’s also not anything big.”
Luo Changqing hesitated and said that he wanted to return to the Luo Kingdom, saying that he missed his hometown and wanted to go back and see.
Jiang Yun asked, “Has Gu’s hospitality made Guozhu dissatisfied?”
“No, no, that’s not this minister’s intention. The scenery in the Jiang capital is pleasant, and the climate is warm. The minister lives very well and comfortably, but… Last night, this minister dreamt of this minister’s ancestors. They pointed at this minister’s face and cursed this minister for being disrespectful and unfilial. This minister woke up with sadness, thinking that it must be because this minister hasn’t served the ancestral temple for a long time that the ancestors’ warning appeared in dreams.”
There was silence inside for a moment.
Luo Changqing’s heart was beating like a drum.
Jiang Yun said, “In that case, it is Gu who didn’t consider everything thoroughly.”
“En, then Guozhu just go back ba.”
Luo Changqing froze, not expecting Jiang Yun to loosen up so easily.
He was overjoyed, and he immediately kneeled down to thank Jiang Yun for his kindness.
Jiang Yun walked out of the curtain, and Luo Changqing hurriedly lowered his head to listen to the young Crown Prince above, continuing, “Xiao Huangsun likes to listen to the zither. On the day Guozhu goes, let Crown Prince Luo come into the palace and become Xiao Huangsun’s zither master, teaching Xiao Huangsun the zither art.”
“……”
Luo Changqing’s burst of joy instantly froze on his face.
“Your Highness, this—this minister is afraid that my son, who was someone with limited means and who does not know how the world works, will not be able to take up the heavy responsibility of teaching Xiao Huangsun…”
Jiang Yun said, “Gu trusts Crown Prince Luo, just like Gu trusts Guozhu.”
Luo Changqing condescended to the ground.
Looking at the flickering golden clothes, his heart felt a chill.
After seeing Luo Changqing, who had lost his soul off, Gongsun Yang asked, “Would this Luo’s Guojun, who loves Luo Fengjun so much, really have the heart to abandon Luo Fengjun and return to his own country by himself?”
Jiang Yun said, “Let him make his own choice.”
After Luo Changqing left, Jiang Yun returned to the bed, propped up his chin, and looked at the sleeping little boy.
Not long after, Gongsun Yang brought over the medicine.
This is a decoction for treating stomach diseases, and Jiang Yun needs to take it regularly every day.
Halfway through the drink, the palace attendant brought over elk antler soup.
The sleeping little boy immediately sat up happily with a loud click when he smelled the fragrance of elk antler soup.
The little boy’s appetite was too big, and even with three nannies’ milk still wasn’t enough. In addition to milk, he must drink another bowl of elk antler soup every day. At first, Jiang Yun was worried that the little boy might have health problems. Meng Hui carefully examined him and concluded that he was very strong, without any problems, just hungry.
The bowl of elk antler soup is not smaller than the bowl in Jiang Yun’s hand.
The little kiddo sat obediently behind the table like a little adult, waiting for Jiang Yun to nod before picking up the bowl and drinking.
Jiang Yun drank a small bowl of medicine for a full moment before reluctantly finishing it.
The little kiddo only took a moment to finish a big bowl of elk antler soup.
After drinking, the little boy happily rolled on the bed.
Jiang Yun is a bit worried.
He’s so small, yet he has such a large appetite. What is he gonna do when he grows up?
Gongsun Yang lifted the little baby, who almost rolled off the bed by the collar, and sighed, “This little thing is nothing like Your Highness.”
His appearance is soft and beautiful, like a soft little rabbit, but his strength is amazing, just like a little wolf cub.
Jiang Yun was teasing the little one’s snow-white and soft face, making him laugh. Upon hearing these words, he was slightly taken aback.
“Pretty little one, who exactly did you take after?”
Jiang Yun extended his finger and poked him again.
**
It was already late at night after the palace banquet ended. As soon as Sui Heng left the palace, he was called over by Empress Yan.
Sui Heng is now addicted to military training. Empress Yan often doesn’t see her son for several months. The reason why Empress Yan called Sui Heng here is very simple. She demanded that Sui Heng immediately marry a concubine and have a son. Get this done before the Southern Expedition.
Sui Heng’s face turned cold as he said, “Erchen doesn’t need Empress Mother to worry about Erchen’s formal consort and descendant.”
“Erchen has taken a vow to remain unmarried for life.”
Empress Yan was shocked and almost couldn’t help but try to pick up the tea cup from the table and throw it over.
Empress Yan suppressed her anger and said, “You are the Crown Prince, not an ordinary aristocrat’s son. Who are you planning to inherit your future wealth to as the Crown Prince with no heir? Are you crazy?”
Sui Heng replied calmly, “Who said Erchen has no offspring?”
“Erchen has decided to adopt Second Brother’s ugly son as Gu’s son.”
Empress Yan was shocked.
After a while, she couldn’t believe it and said, “That ugly kid?”
Sui Heng remained indifferent and said that he had made up his mind and asked Empress Yan not to interfere in his emotional affairs anymore. If Empress Yan secretly sent people to the private courtyard, he would mercilessly kill them.
Then, amidst Empress Yan’s lightning struck expression, he flew away.
Empress Yan thought that Sui Heng was just trying to excuse himself, but she didn’t expect that the next morning, in front of the whole court, Sui Heng would really request Emperor Sui to put Xiao Junwang, Sui Zhang, in the Crown Prince Mansion for custody.
Empress Yan was so angry that she almost fainted.
The Second Prince naturally couldn’t help but be overjoyed. When he left the court, he dressed up Sui Zhang and brought him into the Crown Prince’s mansion.
Xiao Junwang, Sui Zhang, is already over two years old, but he is as strong as a calf and looks like a child of three or four years old. At a young age, he had already beaten up the entire Second Prince Mansion without an opponent.
The guards of the Second Prince’s mansion were all afraid of this Xiao Junwang, who had been fierce and violent since childhood.
But Xiao Junwang was only afraid of Sui Heng. When he saw Sui Heng, he shrank his neck and became a good baby. The Second Prince was very satisfied with this and even expressed gratitude, saying, “Zhang Er is stubborn and unruly, but with Your Highness personally teaching him in the future, he will surely become a great man.”
Sui Heng looked at the ugly kid, who had grown up but had not become beautiful. He gave him a perfunctory glance before letting the Second Prince take him back.
The Second Prince was puzzled.
Sui Heng said, “Gu doesn’t have time at the moment. Let’s take care of him in your mansion for now.”
The Second Prince: “……”
Unexpectedly, Sui Zhang burst into tears, clenched his two small fists, and said in a loud voice, “I won’t leave. I want to go south with Your Highness and attack the Jiang Empire!”
**
Sui Heng had made sufficient preparations for this southern expedition. In the afternoon of that day, he gathered his trusted generals and advisors to discuss the matter at Weirui Hall.
Yesterday, Sui Heng was left behind by Empress Yan to speak, so Chen Qi couldn’t make it to the meeting.
So Chen Qi reported the situation in Jiangnan first and said, “Early this morning, Jiang Rongyu released the Luo Kingdom’s Guojun to return home, but left Luo Fengjun in the palace to teach zither to Xiao Huangsun.”
Shi Heng narrowed his eyes: “Xiao Huangsun?
“Yes.”
Chen Qi said, “The subordinate just received news. It is said that on last year’s New Year’s Eve, Jiang Rongyu returned from Muyun Pass to the Jiang capital to recuperate his injuries and take a baby who was still in swaddle clothes back. No one has seen the child’s birth mother, and it is said that she died in a difficult childbirth.”
If he was born on New Year’s Eve last year, it was pretty much conceived around the time that the Crown Prince of Jiang left the country.
Sui Heng couldn’t help but be concerned.
“This hypocrite is actually full of energy, even after being seriously injured, he still has the strength to do that kind of thing.”
Sui Heng’s temperament is now much more refined, and even when he hears the words Jiang Rongyu, he can’t help but sneer and ridicule. All the generals and advisors have become accustomed to it.
Chen Qi also reported another piece of news.
“According to the latest information obtained by the subordinate, after Jiang Rongyu was shot in the arm with an arrow at the meeting on the river that day, although it appeared to be nothing serious, he was actually sick for a long time and is still taking decoctions to this day.”
“Jiang Rongyu’s body may not be as good as it appears on the surface.”
