Unaware of her impending woes, Guaibao delightfully turned around to show off her new outfit. Her father really best understood her, buying her favourite fluttering butterfly dresses for her, and he even bought a bunch of them!
“Dad, does Guaibao look pwetty?”
The little figure was over the moon and she couldn’t resist flaunting her new clothes.
Ming Jue’s usual cold and stern expression softened and his thin lips curled slightly as he nodded.
Beneath his expressionless face, he secretly planned to send a subordinate to visit every clothing store to buy out the entire collection of children’s butterfly dresses to his villa once they returned to the capital.
After all, these dresses here were hastily gathered by his men from the nearby shops in one night, so they were a little unrefined and did not fit her well.
The little girl continued to spin a few more rounds.
Guaibao’s eyes began to roll, evidently dizzy from all the spinning.
“Oh no… Guaibao is starting to see stars. Only daddy’s hug can heal Guaibao.”
She wobbled towards Ming Jue.
For Ming Jue, it was the first time he had been faced with the adorable whims of a little girl. His eyebrows twitched and he quickly pulled her into his embrace.
“Tee hee~”
Guaibao buried her face in her father’s chest, covering her mouth with her hands as she secretly giggled, thinking that Dabao and Erbao must be so jealous of her right now since she could escape from her daily homework.
What an awesome trip!
……
Zuo Yi entered the room, only to see his master with an unprecedented gentle expression. His eyes couldn’t help but wander towards the little young princess in his master’s arms.
(My new little master is way too formidable!)
He could only wonder how extraordinary the mother must be to be capable of giving birth to such an adorable daughter. Even an iron-hearted man like him, who had no blood relation, could feel as if his heart was melting at the sight of this scene, let alone the little girl’s real father.
Ming Jue turned his attention to the person who had interrupted his enjoyable time and gave him an indifferent stare, probing for the purpose of his visit.
Zuo Yi cleared his throat and lowered his gaze as he gave his report, “Your Highness, we have received a message from the imperial guards of the royal capital, mentioning that the Empress has not been feeling well lately. Her Majesty had requested Your Highness to return urgently to the imperial palace.”
“Did they mention the specifics?”
“Negative.”
Ming Jue immediately understood the hidden meaning of the summons. A hint of helplessness flashed through his eyes. His mother was indeed unwell, that was, if sickness of the heart could be considered an illness. Even though she was aware of his impaired condition, she had not given up on the idea of finding him a consort…
He lowered his sights and looked at the little dolly in his arms, who was happily fiddling with his hair. The edges of his lips curved upwards slightly as he looked forward to the day when his mother would recover from her ‘illness’. After thinking for a moment, he made a decision.
Initially, he had wanted to research more into the incident with Guaibao’s mother. Interrogating the kidnappers and searching for clues had led them to Li Shen from the Fengyuan County. But by the time his men had arrived, the Li family’s mansion had already been burned to ruins.
The woman’s teasing face flashed across his mind. He closed his eyes and recalled that moment – she said that she would come to look for him in the capital.
(So be it.)
“Inform the Shadow Squad to cease their investigation. Get ready. We will leave immediately for the capital. Also, prepare a better carriage designed for maximum comfort.”
Zuo Yi raised his head slightly and incidentally met Guaibao’s gaze. The intelligent little creature smiled sweetly at him, forming deep dimples on her cheek which made his heart feel mellow.
“As you command!”
(I swear I will find the best carriage ever, even if I have to overturn the entire city!)
……
At a certain hotpot restaurant located on the streets of Fengyuan County, the place was packed and flooded with customers.
“Hey, did you hear? The entire Li estate vanished overnight.”
A man dressed in coarse linen clothes was dipping a piece of meat into the pot and stirring it with his chopsticks while chatting with his table companions.
“Pfft… You don’t say. It was really horrifying. Have you seen what remains of the Wangjiang Restaurant? The entire building was burned to the ground. God knows which bigwig had the Li family offended. It was so ruthless!”
Another man grabbed a fishball and popped it in his mouth, enjoying its springy texture and flavour of the fish paste which had been enhanced after soaking in the spicy, yet fragrant broth.
“Yeah, I heard from the residents staying around that area that a loud explosion was heard from the Li family’s residence last night, as if a dragon had crashed into that area. It was traumatic”
“Seems obvious that they had stepped on someone’s toes.”
“Hey, stop hogging all the duck blood to yourselves! Leave a few pieces for me.”
Their main topic of discussion gradually faded to the backburner as the table turned into a food battlefield, where numerous pairs of chopsticks moved fervently to secure servings of their favourite food from the pot before others claimed it for themselves.
It was a modest-sized pot containing a translucent red soup base. The most popular choice of starting ingredients added into the pot were vegetables, partly because the greens would take a longer time to cook, but also because it could enhance the broth by adding a natural sweetness and flavourful depth to it. From time to time, people would dip slices of thin meat into the broth, cooking it in a few stirs as it absorbed the essence of the broth.
The moment the individual took a bite of any ingredient cooked in the hotpot broth, he or she would be introduced to a brand new world of wonderful sensations, savouring the fragrant spices but also getting struck by that numb, tingly feel on their tongue.
When the hotpot concept was first introduced, most of the populace was not accustomed to the numbing sensation and opted for the clear herbal or sour soup base. Over the years, the residents in Fengyuan County had adapted to the spiciness, and some had now even felt that the highest level of spice currently available could no longer satiate their taste buds.
Today was Liao Bai’s turn for patrol duty, making his rounds to each hotpot outlet. No matter which branch he went past, he noticed that there was a common hot topic of discussion among the customers, in particular – the recent events surrounding the Li family. Most of the conversations were sympathetic to the Li family’s unfortunate experience. Liao Bai could not help but leak out slight hints of mockery from his eyes.
Every cause has its consequences, and his boss was not one to be trifled with. Unlike other young ladies of her age, who were usually demure and weak-hearted, Su Jin had always acted decisively and ruthlessly when necessary. Otherwise, her businesses would have been swallowed up by others long ago.
This was also the main reason why the Liao siblings had sworn their allegiance to her. There might have been other options available to repay their life benefactor. But a shrewd and capable master like Su Jin, who was not afraid of employing harsh methods to deal with problems, was a rare find.
……
In a private suite located in a corner of the restaurant, a pair of master and attendant sat opposite each other at the table.
“Young master, this hotpot thingy tastes really great! It’s a pity that the restaurant does not have a branch in the capital. Who knew that there was such a hidden gem in this rural county?”
The attendant had a satisfied smile on his face as he cheerfully refilled the tea for his young master.
Chen Beiqing took a sip from the cup and glanced at him, asking, “Have you found out where this ‘Su Jin’ is staying at?”
“Yes, young master. She seems to be quite famous in Fengyuan County.”
The attendant, Qing Zhu, mentally reviewed the information he had gathered about the woman, and could not help but be impressed. He had heard various incredible tales about her.
Chen Beiqing raised an eyebrow, inquiring the attendant to continue speaking.
Qing Zhu took a quick sip of water and slowly relayed the information he had gathered to his master.
After hearing the story, Chen Beiqing’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“This woman must have extraordinary abilities.”
As he reminded himself on the purpose of this visit, he caressed his cheek with his fingertips. The once hideous permanent scar was no longer there, leaving only a faint mark.
He received the pill from Liu Wen Shuang almost three years ago, but did not bother to try it. It was only recently, after his mother had collapsed from an episode of anxiety attack due to overwhelming woes, that he finally took the pill to calm her down.
That was how he came to experience the miraculous effects of the pill.
His mother, Yan Shi, burst into tears of joy on the spot. She immediately sent a letter to invite the young lady from the Liu family to their mansion.
But when Liu Wen Shuang arrived, an unexpected situation happened. Instead of being happy about the invitation, she seemed a little disoriented upon meeting his mother, as if she had witnessed something bizarre. Her mood seemed to be heavy.
After speaking to her privately, he learned from Liu Wen Shuang that the girl who sold her the pill was the splitting image of his mother, in particular, the close resemblance in their eyes.
When Chen Beiqing heard this, he was reminded of the young lady he had briefly caught sight of during his stay in at Fengyuan County.
He wanted to meet Su Jin in person. There were some things that he needed to confirm with her.
……
It was calm and tranquil in the Su family’s estate. In the study room located at at the West Yard, sound of young children reciting could be heard.
Old man Xuanyuan was dressed in a black embroidered robe, standing with his hands folded behind his back as he gazed solemnly at the two children in front of him. After testing Dabao with a few simple questions, he turned to Erbao with a stern look, thoroughly administering his examination.
“Excellent! From now on, discard all the Confucian teachings that I had taught you in the past…”
Erbao sat up straight and listened to the lecture. His mind was full of doubts, but his eyes were focused, attentive and brimming with brilliance.
Dabao, on the other hand, seemed as if he was listening to some ancient, undeciphered language, as he rested his plump cheeks on his palm. It wasn’t long before his head began to bob and he started to doze off.
The old man gave him an annoyed look, lamenting the fact that there was no miracle elixir to accelerate an individual’s cognitive growth. He turned away sullenly and pretended he hadn’t seen anything.
(Whatever, I could just bestow upon him a title along the lines of ‘The Carefree Prince’ in the future.)
Shifting his sights back to Erbao, a satisfied expression appeared on his dignified face.
(Truly, this second child was born to become an emperor!)
His encounters after losing his memory and degrading into that foolish Xuanyuan Chun 1TL Note: He developed an alter ego must have been the work of fate!
Old man Xuanyuan Fu, the emperor of the Da Liang Empire, had a tragic past. His entire family was sent to the gallows when he was still a child. He sought revenge, plotting a rebellion and succeeded in usurping the throne.
The entire lineage of the former royal family had already been wiped out by his hands.
Xuanyuan Fu believed in the path of dictatorship. He ruled the country with an iron fist and was not afraid to employ ruthless methods to get things done. Every time he introduced or revised a policy, it always left a trail of corpses in the process of implementing those policies. The turnover rate of the court officials was incredibly high.
After sixty years of the autocratic regime, he had consolidated all power under his absolute control and had the final say on all aspects of managing the empire.
The current Da Liang Empire had become one of the four major world powers, largely due to the effectiveness of his dictatorship. Although his methods were cruel, he was competent and excelled in national strategic policies.
During his reign, he led the Da Liang Empire to unprecedented prosperity, turning the empire into a powerhouse. The citizens had no worries about food and money, and were extremely satisfied with their lives. There was no reason for people to revolt against his rule.
Even if he were to disappear and close the palace gates without leaving a message, no one would dare to come up with any funny ideas.
Xuanyuan Fu had never found a companion in his life. As the years passed, his retainers could not help but notice how time had caught up with their emperor from his aging appearance.
Even at the risk of offending him, they knelt before him and tried to persuade him to choose an heir to the throne, all the while trembling in fear of the potential repercussions on their own necks.
No man could withstand the test of time.
If their emperor were to pass away one day without a successor, the entire Da Liang Empire would fall into chaos!
The emperor had no blood relatives. After being emasculated and put in their places over the years, none of the court officials had any desire left to compete for the throne. As long as the emperor did not nominate an absurdly inappropriate candidate, they would gladly submit to his rule.
Xuanyuan Fu lowered his gaze. Although he felt that he could continue for several decades, when he saw Erbao’s talent, he changed his mind and began to contemplate on how to bring Erbao back to the Da Liang Empire.
The moment he started entertaining that line of thought, negative and heavy emotions began to surge from the depths of his heart. Little by little, the veins on his forehead became visible.
But soon after, the image of the smiling young lass flashed across his mind – it was Su Jin, who had always treated him compassionately.
“I will not lose control to this useless alter ego!”
Xuanyuan Fu gritted his teeth and desperately suppressed the feelings that did not felt like his own.
With a gloomy expression, he muttered to himself: “Xuanyuan Chun, it seems that you are really protective of them! I shall only tolerate it once this time!”
For the first time in his life, Xuanyuan Fu made a compromise, resisting the urge to force his way.
After all, he could afford to wait because no one was fighting over that talented budding. Even if it took another ten years, the wait would still be worth it.
That child would definitely become his successor and rule over the Da Liang Empire in the future!
TL Corner: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Do let me know in the comments or discord if there are any errors or mistakes.
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Thank you!
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