Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Precious Child

“Princess,” Gu Xinglang hastily shook his head at Yu Xiaoxiao to indicate she should stop speaking. If she brought up killing Consort Zhao in front of Yu Ziming, how was His Sixth Highness to take it?

Gu Xingnuo walked to Yu Xiaoxiao and added quietly, “Leave the rest to me.”

Yu Xiaoxiao was very unconvinced. What does big brother have to do now that little beansprout’s gone back home?

“Can you trust your big brother once?” Gu Xingnuo asked with a wink. He was the serious and steady type, handsome and every inch the image of a prominent family’s eldest son. His kind was destined to carry on the family name as a noble young master, but a wink and a quirk of his lips turned into into an intimate, rascally rogue in Yu Xiaoxiao’s eyes.

“How about it?” Gu Xingnuo asked her.

“Sure,” Yu Xiaoxiao agreed. It doesn’t matter who brings little beansprout home in the end anyways.

“Commander Wang,” Gu Xingnuo said after Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. “We want to enter the palace.”

“Please wait, eldest young master,” Commander Wang replied. “I’ve already sent someone to announce to His Majesty.”

Gu Xingnuo nodded and ordered Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei, “Carry Gu Xinglang off the carriage.”

The shadow guards checked to make sure their princess was alright before relaxing and carrying Gu Xinglang off.

“Brother-in-law,” Yu Ziming called out sweetly with his mouth smeared with triangular sugar bun.

Besides Yu Xiaoxiao, everyone wore odd expressions. No matter which side of the bed he got up on, it didn’t make sense for Consort Zhao’s son to be so familiar with the eldest princess’s man.

Yu Ziming stretched out his arms towards Gu Xinglang. “Brother-in-law, carry me.”

Without a word, Yu Xiaoxiao stuffed Yu Ziming into Gu Xinglang’s lap. She realized that this kid really like people carrying him. Who knew whether it was because the fatuous ruler only bothered with beauties all day while his wicked consort of a mother did nothing but dream of becoming empress? Perhaps they only birthed a son but never raised him, thus leaving him starved for affection.

Gu Xinglang stiffened as he looked at the messy sugar crumbs lining Yu Ziming’s mouth. His strong sense of OCD1 flared up as he carefully wiped off the grains with his hands, then straightened out the little beansprout’s shirt collar. Gu Xingnuo only sighed at the sight. He had watched Gu Xinglang grow up and knew his brother to be softhearted despite his cold and taciturn exterior.

The imperial guard sent in by Commander Wang now arrived at the gates with Jing Zhong in tow. When the head eunuch saw Yu Ziming sitting in Gu Xinglang’s lap, he had a fright and thought he saw wrongly.

“Head Eunuch,” Commander Wang quickly greeted him respectfully.

Jing Zhong wanted to say, Why is the sixth imperial prince being hugged by Gu Xinglang? But when he saw Yu Xiaoxiao standing on the side, his words died in his throat. Why ask for a beating for no reason? That wasn’t his style.

“His Majesty summons Your Royal Highness to bring His Sixth Highness into the palace,” Jing Zhong told Yu Xiaoxiao politely.

Yu Xiaoxiao pointed at the Gu siblings. I’m going in, but what about them?

Jing Zhong added, “Royal Son-in-Law and Eldest Young Master Gu may enter the palace as well.”

The two Gu brothers expressed their thanks for the imperial decree and then joined the rest of the palace retainers to look towards Yu Xiaoxiao. We know you have strong martial arts, Your Royal Highness, but shouldn’t you express thanks for imperial decrees, too?

Gu Xinglang saw that Yu Xiaoxiao wasn’t planning to react and said, “Princess?”

Yu Xiaoxiao said, “Why are we still standing here? Aren’t we entering the palace?”

Jing Zhong coughed and explained, “Your Royal Highness, aren’t you going to accept the decree?”

“What?” Yu Xiaoxiao stared at him. “I have to accept a decree just to go back home? Are you plotting something again?” She’d never heard of anyone having to give thanks just to enter their house. This damned eunuch must be scheming something again.

Jing Zhong looked listlessly at Yu Xiaoxiao. Even if he had a stomach full of plots, what could he do against a girl like Princess Linglong? She was someone who dared to grab the emperor and jump off a building!

“Enter the palace,” Yu Xiaoxiao told Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei before sweeping past Jing Zhong into the gates.

The two shadow guards picked up Gu Xinglang and followed after her.

—

Xianzong met with his daughter, son-in-law, and eldest brother-in-law in the imperial study again. Yu Ziming didn’t seem particularly happy or intimate to see his father, but burrowed himself into Gu Xinglang’s chest. Seeing his son unharmed, Xianzong shifted his gaze to Yu Xiaoxiao. She had to give him an explanation, right?

Yu Xiaoxiao only felt his stare and realized she had to say something. Quietly, she asked Gu Xingnuo, “Eldest brother, I still have to speak, right?”

“…..” said Gu Xingnuo.

Xianzong slapped the table and cried, “Linglong, you’ve turned mute today!”

“You still have to say the things that need to be said,” Gu Xingnuo told Yu Xiaoxiao hastily when it looked like neither her nor her husband were inclined to talk.

Yu Xiaoxiao opened her mouth and said, “Little Sixth told me that Consort Zhao doesn’t want him anymore!”

“What?” Xianzong asked.

Yu Xiaoxiao continued, “How can Consort Zhao be like this? Isn’t it just going to Zhuri? I never said I didn’t want Little Seventh when it was his turn to go.”

In the end, Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t care a whit about the trip to Zhuri. It was just changing a place to live, and the apocalypse was full of orphans in similar straits. She never saw any of them die off just because they didn’t have parents. Even Yu Xiaoxiao herself had been raised by her drillmaster growing up before taking the position herself. Didn’t she live just as well? Her only objection was how any parent could afford to abandon their child. Children are so precious, so how can you just cast one away like that? It’s unforgivable!

Xianzong looked at his sixth son hiding in Gu Xinglang’s arms and said, “Did you imperial mother really say such a thing?”

Yu Xiaoxiao told the little beansprout, “Don’t be afraid, Little Sixth, I’m here.”

Yu Ziming nodded his head.

Yu Xiaoxiao looked back at Xianzong and said, “What do you think we should do about this?”

Xianzong felt attacked. Consort Zhao had always given him the impression of a good wife and loving mother. How could she not want her own son?

Yu Xiaoxiao said, “If you won’t say anything, then are you planning to let things rest like this? Hey hey, that’s your son! You have hundreds of women in the palace, but only seven sons.”

Xianzong glared at her with fiery eyes. “Linglong, Zhen is your imperial father!”

In other words, he was saying, I’m the emperor, you need to respect me! It was plain speech that any person could understand, but as a foreigner, Yu Xiaoxiao missed the hint and said, “I know you’re my imperial father, ah. Aren’t we talking about Little Sixth right now? What are you planning to do about a woman like Consort Zhao?”

“What do you want Zhen to do?” Xianzong asked gloomily.

“She’s your woman, so why are you asking me?” Yu Xiaoxiao replied. “What then, kill her?”

How could His Majesty endure this?! Xianzong’s breathing quickened in his seat. Nothing’s gone satisfactory for me at all. Not a single thing!

Yu Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes. I knew it, this fatuous ruler can’t bear to do it.