Xiao Wu bent down to pick up the little girl.
How dare he trouble His Majesty.
However, just as he was about to do so,
he saw that the Emperor had already squatted down and then scooped up the chubby little girl.
The little girl, as if it was the most natural thing, lay in Xiao Jinxing’s arms, clinging tightly to his neck.
Xiao Jinxing, being embraced like this, inexplicably felt a sense of fulfillnt from being relied upon.
He couldn’t help but hold the little girl a bit tighter.
Though she was all dirty,
she slled oddly of milk, which was quite pleasant.
Xiao Wu was really about to drop his jaw.
Not to ntion how Prince usually treated children...
Well, okay.
Of course, he was good to Princess Anqi.
After ascending the throne, the Emperor brought the Princess back to the Imperial Palace from the Minister Mansion and kept her by his side.
The Emperor often accompanied her in learning to read and studying, and watched her play and laugh. Occasionally, when the Princess made noise to leave the palace, he would dress casually and accompany her outside.
Still, the interaction between the two remained sowhat awkward. Princess Anqi felt distant from him, lacking the warmth found in ordinary father-daughter relationships. Perhaps it was because the Emperor was, after all, the Emperor, with his authority—the Princess held more respect and thus less intimacy.
And toward Prince Xiao Yanqi, the sense of distance was even stronger.
Almost, except when the Prince ca daily to greet the Emperor, it was rare to see the Emperor summon the Prince on his own initiative.
But now, towards this little girl.
Xiao Wu felt that the Emperor seed, much gentler.
Is it because outside the palace there were fewer constraints, so he was less strict?!
But crucially, even Xiao Wu didn’t think this girl could possibly be a beggar—beggars aren’t that chubby—but still she was dirty, yet the Emperor held her in his arms without any disdain.
Even,
the little girl very boldly requested, "Hold a little longer, I’m so tired."
"Mm," Xiao Jinxing responded.
The little chubby girl was chubby but still small and not heavy.
Upon receiving a positive response, the little girl relaxed even more, resting her chubby cheek on Xiao Jinxing’s shoulder.
It seed she was really catching her breath.
"Where is your ho?" Xiao Jinxing suddenly asked.
"Are you going to send ho?"
"Mm."
"I have no ho, I don’t want to go back." She wouldn’t go back after finally escaping.
She didn’t want to return to be governed by her bad mother.
"Mm?" Xiao Jinxing raised an eyebrow.
He also figured that the little girl must have had a conflict at ho that led her to angrily run away.
"Don’t ask anymore, when I’ve rested enough and there are fewer people, I’ll leave," the little girl asserted.
Xiao Jinxing didn’t ask any further.
He was not one to ddle in other people’s affairs.
"Sir."
From a distance, a guard ca back against the crowd, sowhat breathless.
"Found out?"
"It’s the annual temple fair in Xuzhou City. They say if you go late, it won’t be efficacious, so everyone is rushing to get there early."
"Is this place also so superstitious?!" Xiao Jinxing frowned.
He thought Xuzhou was a more open-minded place.
"Sir, not exactly. Their temple fair isn’t worshipping The Bodhisattva Guanyin, but rather..." the guard hesitated, unsure of how to start.
Xiao Jinxing’s expression darkened.
The guard dared not hide the truth and said, "They are worshipping Empress Hejing."
Everyone knew.
Empress Hejing, Ye Qichi, was a taboo subject for the Emperor; for many years, no one dared ntion her in front of the Emperor.
After the guard spoke, he braced himself as if readied for death.
Indeed.
That statent caused Xiao Wu to not even dare to breathe heavily.
The atmosphere turned tensely eerie.
If not for that, the little girl suddenly started talking.
She yawned and said, "I don’t see what there is to worship, isn’t it just praying for good health because of superb dical skills? My mommy’s dical skills are even more superb than hers! A bunch of ignorant humans."
The little girl’s words.
Made Xiao Wu’s heart tremble even more.
In front of the Emperor, one dares not even ntion the Empress, and now she even dares to slander the Empress.
He respects the little girl as a hero of her generation!
It’s death.
That’s a martyr for sure!
"But my mommy also told not to speak ill of Empress Hejing, she said Empress Hejing is the greatest woman in the whole world, though I don’t understand why my mommy defends Empress Hejing so much. I clearly see her shivering every ti she passes the statue of Empress Hejing, clearly scared."
Xiao Wu truly admires this tiny ancestor.
He really wants to remind this tiny ancestor, so people really die from talking too much.
"But since it’s the person my mommy likes, I will reluctantly like her too." The little girl concluded lastly, then yawned again.
Seems like she is sleepy.
Xiao Wu secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, you can still redeem yourself.
Otherwise, your mommy wouldn’t be able to find you.
What the heck is this mommy thing?!
"It’s less crowded now." Xiao Jinxing suddenly said coldly to the little girl.
His face also noticeably changed at this mont.
It wasn’t clear if it was because the little girl spoke ill of the Empress, or just because the Empress was ntioned.
Anyway, Xiao Wu could visibly see that the mood of the Emperor was not good.
The little girl had no response.
Xiao Wu turned his head to take a glance.
And was startled once again.
The little girl had just like that fallen asleep on the Emperor’s shoulder.
The key is that she was just talking a mont ago.
This quality of sleep is too good.
If only they could split this skill with their Emperor.
Then he wouldn’t have to spend nights alone, struggling to sleep!
"It seems like, she has fallen asleep." Xiao Wu cautiously pointed out.
Xiao Jinxing’s face darkened.
The next mont he planned to directly put the little girl down to wake her up.
But at that mont, he suddenly felt a plump little mouth close to his neck.
The soft, slightly warm touch made his heart unexpectedly soften.
It’s like.
Being moved by warmth.
Xiao Jinxing pursed his lips.
He also found his non-rejection and even indulgence of the little girl’s closeness sowhat inexplicable.
"Sir, let carry her." Xiao Wu offered.
"No need." Xiao Jinxing imdiately refused, strangely unwilling for others to touch her, after saying it, he felt sothing was off, and reluctantly explained, "She’s not heavy."
This explanation made Xiao Wu feel even more that the Emperor was revealing too much while trying to hide sothing.
But Xiao Wu knows to read the Emperor’s expressions, hurriedly changed the topic, "Sir, it’s less crowded now, let’s go over to take a look."
Clearly knowing that he would definitely want to see the statue of the Empress.
Xiao Jinxing nodded slightly.
Everyone headed towards the direction of the crowd.
Then, they saw the most conspicuous sculpture within the crowded temple fair.
Xiao Wu was speechless again.
It seems visiting Xuzhou is just an unending series of blows.
This is not the Empress.
This this this... who is it exactly?!
Xiao Jinxing’s eyes also tightened.
The sculpture did not resemble Ye Qichi at all.
Upon further thought, Ye Qichi also had no portraits, and not many had truly seen Ye Qichi, only left to, imagination!
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