Qin Yuanxi couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. Everyone else had arrived, and whatever Zhao Tuo said now was pointless.
The little guy was probably genuinely hungry. After the wet nurse comforted him for a while, he stopped crying. Not only did he stop crying, but he also slept soundly. Qin Yuanxi, lying on the edge of the cradle, stared at the baby for a long time. He wanted to reach out and touch the baby’s soft face, but he was afraid of waking him up. So, he just stood there watching, growing more reluctant by the moment. Eventually, he decided to bring the baby to his own room, unable to tear his eyes away for even a moment.
But Zhao Tuo disagreed.
“No way.”
Qin Yuanxi didn’t even spare him a glance, instructing the wet nurse to take the baby and leave. Regarding the custody dispute, Qin Yuanxi, after calming down, thought it over. They hadn’t had a wedding, no legally recognized relationship. The custody of the baby was undoubtedly his. If Zhao Tuo wanted to fight, he had a long way to go!
“I’m telling you, don’t think about taking possession of my baby.” Qin Yuanxi, fearing to wake the baby, spoke in a hushed tone, “I won’t let your scheme succeed!”
Zhao Tuo’s expression was awkward. “Don’t be so willful.”
“Who’s being willful?”
After saying this, Qin Yuanxi thought of something and smiled. “Are you worried that the baby will disturb my recovery? You might be surprised; looking at him might even help me heal faster.”
“It’s more about you.” Qin Yuanxi sighed when he reached this point. “What exactly do you plan to do?”
Now that the baby was born, Qin Yuanxi still couldn’t grasp Zhao Tuo’s thoughts. This guy was unpredictable, his moods changing like the wind. Initially, Qin Yuanxi thought appealing to emotions might work, but it seemed to have little effect.
Current Zhao Tuo was like a stone, impermeable to persuasion. What’s worse, you had no idea if he was hiding other schemes.
“After the baby reaches a month, we’ll be heading back to the capital.” Qin Yuanxi hinted slightly. “Following Lu Bohuan’s suggestion, I’ll temporarily confine you to the mansion. You—”
“House arrest?” Zhao Tuo snorted. “Since you’ve already made the decision, why bother asking me?”
“I see you can’t have a decent conversation with me anymore.”
Qin Yuanxi was too lazy to continue this awkward back-and-forth. Time was wasting.
Zhao Tuo’s defeat was a fact, and Lu Bohuan had arranged everything for the aftermath. The troubles left for Qin Yuanxi weren’t many, the major one being Zhao Tuo himself. Qin Yuanxi wanted to untangle Zhao Tuo’s emotional knots, return everything to a more normal state. But now, it seemed more troublesome than he had anticipated.
Zhao Tuo did have feelings for him, and he did care. The issue was that this guy’s thought process hadn’t caught up with Qin Yuanxi’s. He had no clue where to start, the big problems remaining unresolved. Qin Yuanxi’s attention had already been captivated by the little one.
The baby was adorable, and Qin Yuanxi liked him more with each passing day. Despite being so tiny, crying and demanding milk every waking moment, the irresistibly cute factor won over. Qin Yuanxi’s heart was nearly entirely devoted to the little one.
In comparison, Zhao Tuo felt even more neglected, and his mood sank lower.
The little one hadn’t been given an official name yet. Qin Yuanxi casually gave him the nickname ‘Xiao Bao.’ Talking about Xiao Bao brightened Qin Yuanxi’s mood, and the baby’s presence had a positive effect on him. As the child approached his one-month mark, the journey back to the palace couldn’t be delayed any longer.
The birth of an heir in the royal palace was a significant event. Initially worried about how it would all unfold, Qin Yuanxi had underestimated Lu Bohuan’s capabilities. Prince Lu handled everything meticulously. Not a single soul dared to raise any objections in the court. It seemed like the emperor giving birth was the most natural thing, and even in the capital, there were no wild rumors or gossip.
Among the common people, they only knew that the royal family had a joyous occasion, and the government even granted a tax exemption for the current quarter. Happy with this news, there was little room for concern. As for how the royal prince came into the world, it was downplayed and ignored. As long as their emperor was a good one, having a son meant an heir to the throne – that was cause enough for celebration.
As for the civil and military officials, Zhao Tuo’s disturbance had disrupted the previously harmonious relationship between imperial and royal powers, putting them at risk of falling apart again. Except for Prime Minister Wang, who was aware of Lu Bohuan’s illness, the rest of the officials were in the dark. In the eyes of the court ministers, it appeared as if the Regent Prince planned to make a move during the emperor’s pregnancy. Yet, the emperor, in collaboration with Prime Minister Wang, successfully suppressed Prince Lu’s actions, securing a complete victory for the emperor.
With the court’s situation unstable, those loyal to the emperor were concerned that the Regent Prince might stage a comeback. Without asking for reasons, they observed the emperor’s attitude towards Prince Lu. Having regained control of the court, the emperor left Prince Lu in the palace—wasn’t this like nurturing a potential threat?
Those who considered themselves under the protection of the Regent Prince were even more uneasy. With the emperor back in court, what good would come to them? Reckoning was inevitable, and looking at Prince Lu, who was once formidable, now imprisoned in the deep palace without any dignity left, they wondered what even more sinister methods awaited in the future.
Among all the courtiers, only Prime Minister Wang knew the whole story. Watching the person beside the emperor, who was wholeheartedly pampering the little prince, he couldn’t help but sigh deeply.
He had served in the court alongside Prince Lu for many years, thinking he understood him well. Who would have thought there was such a significant hidden truth? Reflecting on it now, it couldn’t help but be bitter.
“Prime Minister Wang, how do you think we should conclude this matter?”
Qin Yuanxi had called the old prime minister for no other reason than to discuss the aftermath of Zhao Tuo’s earlier rebellion.
Lu Bohuan had already taken care of what needed to be done, leaving the aftermath and cleanup work for Qin Yuanxi. Well, it wasn’t exactly leaving it for him—Lu Bohuan had formulated the plan, and Qin Yuanxi just had to follow through. Put the accused in the prison, present the evidence, go through the motions, and pass the verdict.
However, that decision was made from Lu Bohuan’s perspective. The crux of the problem was that Qin Yuanxi couldn’t follow through with it.
This posed a bit of a headache. Dealing with such a major issue of treason, he lacked experience. He could only seek guidance from more seasoned courtiers, and at the moment, the only person who could discuss this matter was Prime Minister Wang, who knew the true situation.
If he explained this to others, it would be hard for Qin Yuanxi to justify. But with Prime Minister Wang, things were much clearer, and he could understand Qin Yuanxi’s perspective.
“Um, I understand His Majesty’s intentions.”
Prime Minister Wang’s gaze swept over General Zhao, who was beside him, comforting the baby. He not only understood His Majesty’s intentions but grasped them thoroughly. It was clear that the emperor was reluctant, creating a challenge for himself. Otherwise, why would they discuss the matter of General Zhao’s rebellion and bring the person in question to listen?
It was truly an unprecedented situation.
Qin Yuanxi also noticed Prime Minister Wang’s glance at Zhao Tuo and casually explained, “The little prince can’t be separated from him. If he doesn’t see him, he’ll cry. I asked him to come to pacify the baby. Prime Minister Wang, feel free to speak your mind.”
“You can treat him as if he doesn’t exist.”
“Understood.” Despite such a strong presence, treating him as non-existent was the only option. Prime Minister Wang continued, “Throughout history, rebellion has always been a grave crime, emphasizing irrefutable evidence. There must be concrete proof for a conviction.”
Qin Yuanxi rubbed his temples. In Zhao Tuo’s case, the evidence was indeed solid, personally gathered by Lu Bohuan. There was no way to deny its validity.
“In a situation where the evidence is complete,” Prime Minister Wang continued, “it’s also the one where evidence matters the least.”
“Hmm? I don’t quite understand.”
Prime Minister Wang didn’t elaborate, “Your Majesty understands. When dealing with influential figures, especially those close to the throne, the most convenient charge has always been the crime of rebellion. It was most commonly used in the later stages of the founding of a nation. Anyone with a wavering heart could be convicted of rebellion. As for the evidence, it’s merely a matter of Your Majesty’s word.”
“I see.” Qin Yuanxi nodded solemnly. “It’s a frame-up. But isn’t the current situation a bit different? Are you suggesting that I admit to framing him myself? That doesn’t seem very realistic.”
“Not at all,” Prime Minister Wang smiled. “Your Majesty only needs to provide a slight cover-up, simply stating that Prince Lu was acting under orders. As for the rest, the intricacies are always unclear. By pardoning some individuals and reassuring them, the matter of rebellion will naturally fade into obscurity.”
“Handle it with ease,” Prime Minister Wang’s words were precise. “Those people are Prince Lu’s former subordinates; naturally, they wouldn’t want to be implicated. As for the others, due to Your Majesty’s favor towards Prince Lu, they wouldn’t dare to trouble him. Otherwise, when Prince Lu rises again in the future, won’t these people be in deep trouble?”
“That seems to make sense.”
Just as Qin Yuanxi was about to nod, he heard a disdainful snort from Zhao Tuo beside him. His attitude was quite improper, prompting Qin Yuanxi to grab a memorial and throw it at him. “You’re still snorting? Do you have any shame? What do you think I’m doing? Wiping your butt for you?”
Perhaps the noise was a bit too loud. The little one in Qin Yuanxi’s arms was awakened and started crying again. Qin Yuanxi’s attention immediately shifted to the baby. “Quick, Xiao Bao is crying again. Hurry and soothe him.”
Zhao Tuo swayed the child a couple of times but couldn’t calm him. Frowning, he said, “He’s hungry.”
He then left the study. Watching the departing figure of the general holding the baby, Prime Minister Wang couldn’t help but sigh. Whether it was the Regent Prince or the general, this scene was probably not easy to come by.
“Prime Minister, there’s another matter.” Qin Yuanxi closed the memorial in his hand. “I was thinking, the little prince has reached a month, and the edict has been issued. There’s just this one thing left to handle.”
“I wonder what Your Majesty is referring to?”
“Marriage,” Qin Yuanxi said matter-of-factly. “How do you think we should handle the marriage matter, Prime Minister?”
“This, this, this—” The old prime minister almost couldn’t catch his breath.
They hadn’t even settled the rebellion, and now they were talking about marriage? Isn’t it a bit too soon?
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)
