Chapter 568: Bao Zhuzhu's Background
Chapter 568: Bao Zhuzhu's Background
Dusk was falling.
The palace attendants bustled about in an orderly manner.
The Liang Emperor sat in the warm chamber of the Diligence Hall, surrounded by a pile of silver he had won from King Miao, Duke Jiang, and the Zi Wu Scholar.
Eunuch Yu cautiously approached, "Your Majesty, shall I have the meal prepared?"
The Liang Emperor placed the memorial he had been reading on the left stack, having gone through most of the recent ones that afternoon. He picked up a new one from the right stack, which was about impeaching the Crown Prince and installing Prince Jin as the Heir Apparent.
"Twenty-seven of them."
He said.
Eunuch Yu glanced at the memorials, his voice hesitant, "Back then, the Crown Prince's position was unstable, and Eldest Grandson bore the false name of the Qilin, causing the entire court to worry."
The Liang Emperor stopped reading and began reviewing the imperial edicts and decrees he had issued.
He came across the decree appointing Lu Lin Yuan as the State Guardian Qilin.
"Tell me about the Competition."
The Liang Emperor said.
Eunuch Yu was the Liang Emperor's confidant, and Lu Zhaoyan had not hidden from him the details of the Liang Emperor's efforts to remove the curse and his subsequent memory loss. After all, if someone were to take advantage of the situation, Eunuch Yu could help mediate.
People have hearts of flesh.
Lu Zhaoyan considered Eunuch Yu a trusted ally, and while Eunuch Yu might not favor him, he certainly wouldn't harm him.
Eunuch Yu detailed the events leading up to the literary and martial competitions for the two imperial grandsons, along with all the intricate details.
The Liang Emperor had already read the records from the historians, and Eunuch Yu's account matched them.
The Liang Emperor then asked some questions about the Crown Prince's Mansion and Prince Jin's residence, inquiring only about the facts, not about their true feelings toward him as their Father Emperor and grandfather.
He had his own judgment and didn't need others' perspectives.
Eunuch Yu, well aware of the Liang Emperor's temperament, was careful and cautious, never mixing in personal speculation.
Seeing the Liang Emperor's slight fatigue, Eunuch Yu consoled him, "Your Majesty, Miss Yan said you will recover in a day or two. There's no need to rush and tire yourself out."
The Liang Emperor replied, "It's rare to be an observer rather than a participant."
Eunuch Yu understood.
What the Liang Emperor truly wanted to examine was not those around him, but himself.
Admiring and moved by the Liang Emperor's dedication, Eunuch Yu said, "Your Majesty, I'll have the meal prepared. Eat first, and then take your time to think."
As he was about to leave, the Liang Emperor suddenly asked, "Is King Miao really here to discuss a marriage alliance?"
"Um..."
Eunuch Yu was stumped.
"Yu Gong Gong, you know the relationship between Father Emperor and King Miao. I want to use this opportunity to mend relations between Liang and the Miao Borderlands for the sake of the people and the state. Please keep their personal grievances from Father Emperor for now."
Recalling Lu Zhaoyan's earnest request, Eunuch Yu was momentarily at a loss for words.
As he hesitated, the Liang Emperor's ears perked up, and he glanced at the door. "Come in."
A guard entered the warm chamber, carrying Bao Zhuzhu.
Eunuch Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
A savior had arrived!
Bao Zhuzhu was awake, not crying or making a fuss, but her face was filled with a pout.
After a nap, she had lost her mother again.
The guard placed Bao Zhuzhu next to the Liang Emperor, knelt on one knee, and bowed, "I failed, Your Highness. Eldest Grandson discovered me."
The Liang Emperor glanced at the little bundle beside him, frowned strangely, and waved the guard away.
The guard gratefully retreated, fleeing as quickly as possible.
Feeling somewhat redundant, Eunuch Yu quietly left and instructed Little Dezi to send for the meal from the Imperial Kitchen.
Little Dezi asked, "Didn't Your Majesty say not to have the meal prepared?"
Eunuch Yu gave him a withering look, "Your Majesty might not eat, but Miss Zhao Zhao needs to."
Little Dezi slapped his forehead, "How could I forget!"
Your Majesty doted on Miss Zhao Zhao the most. As long as she was around, the Diligence Hall's table never lacked for food.
Inside the warm chamber.
The Liang Emperor and Bao Zhuzhu stared at each other.
The Liang Emperor no longer remembered the little bundle.
Little Bao Bao was angry with the Liang Emperor.
She placed her little hands on her hips, "You had someone carry me back here?"
After finally getting to go out and play with her mother, why couldn’t the grown-ups understand anything?
Liang Emperor: "Who are you?"
Bao Bao widened her eyes, "I’m Bao Bao!"
Liang Emperor: "Whose?"
Bao Bao: "Yours!"
The Liang Emperor scrutinized the little one, who was round and chubby, with a slight air of cuteness and defiance.
Was this really his child?
Liang Emperor asked, "What do you call Me?"
Bao Bao turned away, giving him a pouting back of her head, "I won’t call you anything!"
Liang Emperor threatened, "If you don’t, I’ll throw you out."
Bao Bao turned back, looking at him in disbelief.
The little one, who had been pampered, was suddenly treated so coldly, and she felt so wronged that tears welled up and she cried out.
"Grandpa is bad—Bao Bao doesn’t want Grandpa—Bao Bao wants Great-Grandpa—"
Grandpa, Great-Grandpa.
The Liang Emperor quickly figured out the little one’s identity—his and the Miao King’s great-grandchild.
Wait, something wasn’t right.
She was his great-grandchild, and the Miao King’s great-grandchild.
The Liang Emperor sternly asked, "Is your father Lu Lin Yuan?"
Bao Bao bristled, "Bao Bao doesn’t want a stinky father! Or a stinky great-grandpa!"
The Liang Emperor said seriously, "I’m not stinky."
Bao Bao cried for a long time, but the Liang Emperor didn’t try to comfort her. She looked at him in surprise and cried even louder.
The Liang Emperor’s head throbbed, "Stop crying."
"Boo-hoo—boo-hoo—boo-hoo—"
Bao Bao’s crying was earth-shattering.
The Liang Emperor’s mind buzzed, "Yu Hai!"
Eunuch Yu entered, "Your Majesty."
Liang Emperor: "Take her away."
Eunuch Yu: "…"
Eunuch Yu whispered, "Your Majesty, this is the Miss Zhao Zhao you dote on the most."
Liang Emperor: "You’re lying."
Bao Bao was so wronged that she cried uncontrollably.
Eunuch Yu said awkwardly, "I can’t comfort her. Miss Zhao Zhao only calms down when Your Majesty does. She’s always waiting for Your Majesty at the Hall of Diligent Government, and if Your Majesty is late, she’ll even go to the Golden Hall to wait for you."
The Liang Emperor looked at the little one skeptically, then reached out a stiff hand to pat Bao Bao’s head.
Bao Bao sobbed, "Don’t think… that just because you pat me… I’ll forgive you…"
Liang Emperor: "What do you want then?"
Bao Bao sniffled, "You have to carry Bao Bao! Comfort Bao Bao!"
Liang Emperor turned away, muttering, "Children are such a hassle."
He stiffly picked up the little one.
"Let’s go."
Bao Bao directed.
"You have so many demands."
The Liang Emperor, with a stern face, carried the little one and started walking around the warm pavilion.
Bao Bao immediately stopped crying, sitting in his arms, leaning against his chest, and happily wiggling her little feet.
The Liang Emperor fed her and put her to sleep.
He called Eunuch Yu, "Bring the Dragon Stone."
Eunuch Yu: "Your Majesty?"
"I suspect she’s not my true great-grandchild. She might be a curse planted by someone."
The Liang Emperor frowned at the sleeping little one in his arms, "Even though she’s so troublesome, I still kind of like her. I must have been cursed."
Eunuch Yu: "…"
Eunuch Yu fetched the Dragon Stone.
The Dragon Stone was a gift from the Medicine King Valley to the late emperor, and it could verify blood relations through a drop of blood.
Huang Changsun and Prince Jian had both been tested without their knowledge.
Miss Zhao Zhao hadn’t been tested yet.
"Can you bear it?"
A prick of a needle, don’t let it break your heart.
The Liang Emperor had to make this decision.
Eunuch Yu brought the Dragon Stone.
The Liang Emperor didn’t wake the little one, only carefully took a drop of blood.
If the Dragon Stone showed no reaction, it meant they were not blood-related.
Eunuch Yu suddenly remembered what the Crown Prince had said, "Eunuch Yu, there’s one more thing. Actually, Zhao Zhao isn’t from the Lu family. He is a child adopted by Yuan Er."
"Your Majesty!"
He tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Eunuch Yu looked at the Dragon Stone with a drop of blood, his eyes widening in shock, "This…"
(End of Chapter)
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