With that statement, silence filled the surroundings.
Qi Shao, suppressing his laughter, couldn’t help but shake with amusement. He had been waiting for the day when Wei Chao would be genuinely surprised.
Wei Chao’s shocked and disbelieving expression was simply too amusing. Qi Shao had been anticipating this moment for so long.
Unable to contain his satisfaction, he hooked his arm around Wei Chao’s shoulder. “You see, my uncle may appear young, but in reality, he could have a child your age.”
Wei Chao blushed deeply, and his face felt hot. He stood up and bowed to Princess Qi Yuyao, “I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
“Qi Shao.” Qi Heng maintained his composed expression and spoke in an even tone, “Do you think I’m getting old?”
Qi Shao, desperate to survive this situation, shook his head vigorously, swearing, “No, no, I absolutely didn’t mean to imply that you’re old, Uncle.”
Feeling that his explanation was insufficient, he quickly added, “Uncle, you are a paragon of youth and beauty, far from being old.”
Qi Heng responded to this with a cold chuckle. “Starting tomorrow, set aside an hour every morning. I will personally come to teach you swordsmanship.”
“Is heaven going to take me away!” Qi Shao’s face was filled with despair.
“Yo… Your Majesty…” Admiration gleamed in Wei Chao’s eyes as he glanced at Qi Shao. Then, he hesitantly turned to Qi Heng and requested, “Your Majesty, if you’re teaching the Crown Prince swordsmanship, may I watch?”
“Sure.” Qi Heng nodded, and the quiet Qi Yuyao, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “Father, I want to watch my elder brother practice swordsmanship.”
At this moment, Qi Shao suddenly felt like he had become the monkey in a cage, put on display for others.
He began to pray in his heart that this was just a joke from Qi Heng. However, the next day, just as it was about dawn, two martial arts instructors barged into his room and dragged Qi Shao to the Imperial Garden.
Qi Shao’s flailing and struggling resembled a captured chick, and the Imperial Garden had been cleared by Qi Heng’s orders to create an open space for this purpose.
Qi Shao was placed in the open space, and one of the martial arts instructors handed him a sword. “His Majesty is currently at the morning court, Your Highness, so you can practice swordplay for a bit.”
The snow had stopped falling, but there was a cold wind. When they had pulled Qi Shao outside, he was only dressed in an inner robe. Qi Shao gripped the sword, shivering from the cold.
“I don’t know how to do this!”
The martial arts instructor drew his own sword and demonstrated it to him. “Do you understand now, Your Highness?”
Qi Shao’s teeth were chattering. “Yes, yes, could I please go back and put on some warmer clothing before practicing?”
“You’ll warm up as you practice, Your Highness,” the martial arts instructor said calmly. “You might even break a sweat later.”
Qi Shao’s hands were trembling as he slowly withdrew the sword handed to him by the martial arts instructor.
“It’s best for His Highness to become proficient quickly. His Majesty will come to inspect later,” the instructor urged.
…
In the Hall of Diligent Governance.
As the year-end approached, there were fewer state affairs to be discussed in the court, so these days the morning court sessions ended relatively early. Today, the ministers found it somewhat unusual that at this hour, His Majesty had not yet dismissed the court.
“I wonder what His Majesty is thinking?” someone whispered to a colleague. “It’s the first time I’ve seen him distracted during a court session. Could something have happened in the palace yesterday?”
“I haven’t heard anything.”
Indeed, Qi Heng was lost in thought. Last night, when he returned to his sleeping chambers, the spirit of Prince Chen suddenly approached him, claiming that he had a wish.
He wished to see Yuyao find a good husband and live a life of peace and happiness.
Qi Heng also remembered at this moment that after the New Year, Yuyao had turned sixteen. In the Great Jin, it was customary for young girls to be considered eligible for marriage around the age of thirteen or fourteen, and they could be wed and start a family by fifteen or sixteen.
However, finding a suitable husband for Yuyao posed a challenge for Qi Heng.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty,” Lin Dahai whispered a few times, “The ministers are still waiting for you downstairs.”
Qi Heng was brought back to reality and glanced at the assembled officials. He spoke in a cold tone, “If there’s nothing else, let’s conclude the court session.”
The officials knelt, and Qi Heng rose from the dragon throne, placing his hands behind his back, and walked down. The officials quickly chanted the appropriate farewell phrases.
Not far from leaving the Hall of Diligent Governance, Qi Heng suddenly halted and turned to look at Lin Dahai. He asked, “Did I forget something?”
“In the morning, Your Majesty mentioned that you would teach the Crown Prince swordsmanship,” Lin Dahai gently reminded him. “The Crown Prince has been practicing in the Imperial Garden for nearly an hour.”
The poor Crown Prince, being tender and pampered, was probably unable to lift his arms now.
Qi Heng changed direction and headed toward the Imperial Garden.
…
“I don’t want to practice anymore!” Qi Shao, drenched in sweat, lay on the ground as if he had just been pulled out of the water. There was a thick layer of snow on the ground, which made his landing less painful.
Qi Shao had made up his mind. Today, no matter who came, he wouldn’t get up. After practicing the sword for so long, his hand was nearly too sore to lift.
“Crown Prince, His Majesty is about to arrive,” the martial instructor pleaded in a kind and gentle voice. “It’s better if you get up now. When His Majesty arrives and sees you like this, he will surely be angry.”
“Even if Uncle Emperor comes, I absolutely won’t get up!” The surroundings suddenly fell silent, but Qi Shao didn’t notice. He clenched his teeth, saying with determination, “If Uncle Emperor is genuinely playing with me, I want him to see with his own eyes what I’ve become!”
At this moment, Qi Heng strangely empathized with Emperor Jin Yuan when he used to observe his own royal sons.
It’s hard to put into words.
“Qi Shao.”
Just two short words, spoken with a calm tone, devoid of anger or any other emotion. However, to Qi Shao’s ears, it felt like a thunderbolt striking right beside him, and he immediately scrambled to his feet.
“Uncle…” Qi Shao stammered.
“Come here,” Qi Heng calmly said. Qi Shao, however, cautiously took a step back. “I… I think I’m quite comfortable here.”
Qi Heng glanced at the nearby martial artist, who understood his unspoken request. With two steps, the martial artist moved to Qi Shao’s side, and, as if handling a quail, brought Qi Shao to Qi Heng.
“Your Majesty.”
“Put me down,” Qi Shao struggled for a moment, and the martial artist loosened his grip, allowing him to stand.
Qi Shao’s current appearance was genuinely miserable. He was drenched from head to toe, even his hair was wet, and he looked like a pitiful, oppressed figure.
“Go back and change into the clothes for leaving the palace,” Qi Heng said, pinching his brow, showing a hint of leniency.
“Leaving the palace?” The surprise came too suddenly, and Qi Shao’s tone jumped by a couple of degrees. He had never imagined that one day he would yearn so much for the outside world. He could only blame himself for not cherishing the time he spent in the prince’s residence before. Now that he had lost it, he deeply regretted it.
“I’ll take you to the Ministry of Works,” Qi Heng used a burst of spiritual power to shield Qi Shao from the surrounding cold. Otherwise, returning like this would undoubtedly expose him to the chilly air.
“Make sure to call Wei Chao as well,” Qi Heng instructed loudly, and Qi Shao promptly acknowledged before rushing off.
“Prepare a carriage,” Qi Heng said as he made his way to his private quarters. After returning to the palace, he changed into common attire and draped a white fox fur cloak over it.
Lin Dahai, now dressed in a common servant’s outfit, saw Qi Heng coming out and immediately complimented, “Your Majesty, dressed like this, you could easily pass for a young noble.”
“Let’s go,” Qi Heng said in a calm tone, and Lin Dahai sighed in response, following closely behind.
Qi Heng boarded the carriage and only sat for a short while before Qi Shao arrived with Wei Chao. Qi Heng waived the need for formalities and allowed them to join him in the carriage.
Wei Chao, feeling somewhat embarrassed, whispered an apology, “Your Majesty, I broke my promise.”
Yesterday, he had expressed his desire to watch the Crown Prince practice swordsmanship. However, he stayed up late due to his excitement about the training, and the palace attendants didn’t dare to wake him up in the morning.
Wei Chao’s mood was fluctuating, and he wasn’t sure if the Emperor would think of him as lazy and unreliable.
“No need to worry,” Qi Heng responded calmly. “This morning, I had the martial instructors teach him some basic moves. Your foundation is already quite solid, and there was no need for you to watch this time.”
“Is that so? Do you really think my foundation is solid?” Wei Chao’s eyes suddenly lit up with admiration. He had never been praised by someone he admired before, and it was a first for him.
Wei Chao suddenly felt an overwhelming excitement coursing through his body. He felt like he could take on ten Qi Shao’s at this moment!
Qi Shao, who was suddenly the target of Wei Chao’s gaze, was taken aback and asked with a puzzled expression, “Wei Chao, why are you looking at me like that?”
“While your foundational skills are indeed solid, it’s clear that you’ve put in effort to learn,” Qi Heng nodded. “However, a swordsman’s sword is meant for killing, and the focus should be on practical combat, not the pursuit of flashy sword techniques for their appearance.”
Wei Chao’s cheeks turned red, and he quickly apologized, “Your Majesty, you are right. I was narrow-minded in the past.”
“However, it’s normal for young folks to like some fancy moves,” Qi Heng remembered that when he first started martial arts, he also preferred graceful and elegant techniques. But as he ventured into a wider world, his sword techniques gradually focused more on speed and delivering a lethal blow.
Because, at that time, the sword in his hand was no longer for self-amusement but for killing and vanquishing immortals.
“Master, we’ve arrived at the Ministry of Works.”
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Ministry of Works, and Lin Dahai, disguised as a servant, jumped off and arranged the footstool.
“Are you here to find someone?” The guards at the gate approached and inquired.
Lin Dahai stepped forward with a serious expression and took out a waist token from his pocket, “My master has come to find Mr. Yao among you.”
The two guards took the waist token and looked at it, their expressions changed, and they quickly handed the token back, “It turns out that a noble from the palace has come. Please, noble guests, come inside for tea. We will go and inform Mr. Yao.”
Lin Dahai returned to Qi Heng’s side, and Qi Heng entered the gate of the Ministry of Works.
“I apologize for not welcoming Your Majesty from a distance. Please forgive me,” Mr. Yao said with a bow.
Yao Ru knelt down, panting. He was dressed in a simple outfit with his pants bearing mud stains.
“No need,” Qi Heng told him to rise. Yao Ru got to his feet, giving a small bow to both Qi Heng and Qi Shao.
Qi Shao curiously observed Yao Ru and asked, “Mr. Yao, what were you doing today? How did you end up in such a state?”
The Grand Minister of Works covered in mud, did he go farming in the middle of winter?
“It’s just that the Ministry of Works is short-handed, and there wasn’t much going on at my house, so I stayed to help make bricks,” Yao Ru explained while subtly checking Qi Heng’s reaction.
He had dropped enough hints; it was time for His Majesty to provide him with additional manpower!
“Mr. Yao, when you talk, just talk. Why do you keep staring at my uncle like that? Don’t tell me you’re short-handed and want to drag my uncle into making bricks with you?” Qi Shao blurted out involuntarily.
After saying that, Qi Shao couldn’t help but imagine Qi Heng wearing a short outfit, covered in mud, and he burst into laughter.
Yao Ru: “…” Crown Prince, do you want to die? Can you not involve me like this?
