Chapter 9 : I give you thumbs up

How could he know his plan so clearly?

“Ah, no, Father, let me explain. I…” The Fifth Prince, though quick-witted, was clumsy with words.

After stammering for a while, he still couldn’t explain himself.

The Tyrant Emperor kicked him again, “Do you want me to listen to those nonsensical words again? You’re ignoring your position as a prince and engaging in schemes to harm your brother and disrupt the ruler’s mind.

From today on, you are stripped of your title as prince and demoted to commoner status. You are forbidden from stepping into the capital city ever again!”

Fifth Prince: ?

He was terrified and, coming back to his senses from the shock, cried out, “Father—please, no!!! I am the Chosen One, the future heir, the future emperor of the Tiansheng Dynasty—ah!”

The Tyrant Emperor truly thought the Fifth Prince was insane.

Fuming with anger, he signaled the guards, and one of them knocked the Fifth Prince out with a blow.

[Dad, Fifth Brother must be going mad trying to become emperor.]

Tyrant Emperor: !

Hmph!

Is the imperial throne so easy to attain?

Unless he was insane, he would never hand the throne to such a rebellious son!

The Tyrant Emperor returned to Yihe Palace holding Ah Bao.

“Leave the matter of the Empress Dowager returning to the palace to you, Concubine De,” the Tyrant Emperor commanded.

Typically, a Concubine who handles significant matters in the harem has a chance for promotion in the future. After all, Concubines with lower ranks are not qualified to participate in major harem affairs.

Concubine De was somewhat surprised by this favor. She curtsied and said, “This servant obeys the command.”

[Oh dear, this is a dangerous task for you.]

Concubine De’s smile instantly froze on her face.

Tyrant Emperor: ?

Ah Bao blinked her big eyes, spinning around.

[Mom, the Empress Dowager will take the east gate when she returns to the palace, where assassins have already been ambushed.]

[After the Empress Dowager is attacked, you will become the scapegoat, and then you, my beautiful mother, will be in danger.]

Concubine De stood frozen in place, frightened.

But she was, after all, the legitimate daughter of a general, and had a strong mental fortitude.

After a moment, she casually took Ah Bao from the Tyrant Emperor’s arms and said slowly, “Your Majesty, I have a suggestion. I’m not sure if it should be mentioned.”

Tyrant Emperor: “Feel free to speak.”

“This servant has heard many rumors from both inside and outside the palace during these days of unrest. To be cautious, I thought, why not change the route for the Empress Dowager’s return? Instead of the east gate, we could use the south gate. What do you think?”

[Wow! My clever mother! Thumbs up for you!]

[We’re on the same page, truly mother and daughter are in sync.]

[But I’m not sure if Dad agrees, as returning through the south gate isn’t as grand as the east gate!]

[But Dad, you should not only consider the formality; you need to take your old mother’s safety into account.]

The Tyrant Emperor raised an eyebrow without showing any emotion, “Why do you have this suggestion?”

“This servant has been feeling uneasy lately, especially with the Empress Dowager returning to the palace, and I’m worried about her safety. I’m just thinking ahead, prioritizing the Empress Dowager’s safety.” Concubine De lowered her gaze.

This was all thanks to Ah Bao’s reminder.

Otherwise, if she faced this difficulty, she would never see Ah Bao again.

“I just said, you have full authority on this matter. Whether to use the east gate or the south gate is up to you. There is no need to discuss it with me.”

Concubine De smiled gracefully, “Thank you, Your Majesty. I will handle this matter beautifully.”

Late at night, the Tyrant Emperor returned to the imperial study and was reviewing memorials.

“What are these disorganized memorials! Not a single useful suggestion!”

The Tyrant Emperor flipped through several memorials, his eyebrows nearly twisting in anger.

“The plague in Lingnan has been happening for a month. Hasn’t the Crown Prince already gone to the plague area? Why are there still riots there? Where is the money allocated by the court?”

Eunuch Xi stood by, trembling with fear.

Indeed, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger.

“What are you dawdling for? Speak!”

Eunuch Xi: ?

Your Majesty.

This old servant is just a servant.

How dare I interfere in court matters.

Eunuch Xi was internally panicked, prostrated on the ground, and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. Princess Ah Bao is still waiting for your affection. Please don’t let your anger harm your health.”

“Ah Bao?” The Tyrant Emperor was stunned.

As if he had discovered a new world.

His deep, eagle-like eyes immediately brightened.

Since he could hear Ah Bao’s thoughts, could it be that he could…

The next day.

After a satisfying meal, Ah Bao lazily stretched in Concubine De’s arms, and a faint scent of milk seemed to linger in the air.

Having been reborn as a baby, she was determined to drink all the milk she had missed in her past life, haha.

“Your Highness, Eunuch Xi has come, saying that he has received the Emperor’s orders to take Ten Princess to attend the palace banquet.”

“Palace banquet?” Concubine De was curious. Didn’t they just attend one yesterday?

“Your Majesty~” Concubine De was surprised that the Tyrant Emperor himself came to Yihe Palace.

Since she gave birth to Ah Bao, the Emperor had been visiting Yihe Palace more frequently.

“Is Ah Bao awake?”

“Yes, she is awake.”

“Good.”

Concubine De: “Your Majesty, are you taking Ah Bao…”

The Tyrant Emperor took Ah Bao in his arms and smiled, “I’ve arranged a Ziyun banquet for Ah Bao in the imperial garden to celebrate her birth and to entertain the officials.”

Concubine De: ?

This…

She had only heard of full-month banquets; a birth banquet was new to her.

None of the nine imperial heirs in the harem had had a birth banquet.

The Tyrant Emperor looked down at Ah Bao and said, “Today, Ah Bao is the main word. Let’s go, I’ll take you to have some fun.”

The mention of fun made Ah Bao’s eyes light up.

[Let’s go have fun!]

[Thanks, Daddy!]

The Tyrant Emperor was both amused and speechless, happily carrying Ah Bao to the harem.

For some reason, Ah Bao felt that today’s banquet was different from usual.

Yesterday had been full of laughter, but today the atmosphere seemed somewhat heavy.

“Your Majesty, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Lord Zong, and the Assistant Deputy Minister, Lord Lin, have arrived.”

The Tyrant Emperor, holding Ah Bao, sat at the head of the table. “Let them both be seated.”

“Greetings, Your Majesty.” The two officials bowed in unison.

Seeing the entire banquet hall, with only the three of them present, the two officials were puzzled.

The banquet was a bit different from what they had imagined.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

Lord Zong, a seasoned official with keen insight, immediately took out a wrapped gift from his waist. “Your Majesty, this is a gift for Ten Princess’s birth from this humble servant. I hope the Princess will have peace and joy in the future.”

Unwrapping it revealed a piece of gold leaf.

Lord Zong’s wife ran a prosperous medicine shop in the capital.

With the monthly stipend Lord Zong received and the success of his wife’s medicine shop, it was not difficult to produce a piece of gold leaf.

Even from dozens of meters away, Ah Bao could see clearly.

The gold leaf was exquisite and beautiful.

【Lord Zong really knows how to handle things. I love gold the most! Even if you took so much silver for the Lingnan plague, I wouldn’t mind if you gave me a few more pieces of gold leaves. The more, the better!】

The Tyrant Emperor: ??

Damn it!

He had suspected that the silver allocated for the plague-stricken area was ample, but it still couldn’t control the situation and led to a riot.

So that was the reason!