[Hehe, leave it to me, Host!]

The Crown Prince and the Emperor:

Still keeping it mysterious, huh?

The Emperor and the Crown Prince exchanged a glance, seeing the curiosity in each other’s eyes. They continued walking forward.

The Crown Prince suddenly realized they had already completed the daily task, yet his father was still carrying Yuan Ruan on his back. Scanning the crowd discreetly, he stepped forward and said, “Father, you must be tired. Why don’t I help carry her for a while?”

“No need.” The Emperor adjusted Yuan Ruan’s position to make her more comfortable, following the baby’s babbling gestures toward a nearby vendor. His deep voice resonated, “Keep moving.”

The Crown Prince froze. Huh?

Why did it feel like his father wasn’t annoyed? In fact, he seemed to be enjoying this?

At this moment, Wu Yi approached the Crown Prince from behind, patting him on the shoulder. Lowering his voice, he said, “His Majesty genuinely adores the little princess. They’re quite compatible. Her unique abilities were merely a thread of fate bringing them together.”

The Crown Prince finally understood. Looking at the harmonious interaction between the two ahead, he fell into thought.

The village near the military garrison was impoverished. Most of the villagers were thin and dark-skinned, and it was rare to see young girls at the market.

The sudden appearance of a tall, well-dressed group immediately drew the attention of everyone around.

Yuan Ruan felt uncomfortable being stared at. If not for the reward dangling in front of her, she would have likely tugged at the Emperor’s hair, babbling to be taken back.

“Ah-woo!” A few muffled groans accompanied a ferocious roar, “Run, huh? Keep running, and I’ll beat you to death!”

Out of the corner of her eye, Yuan Ruan spotted two burly men mercilessly kicking a small figure. The child on the ground clutched his head tightly, enduring the beatings and scolding without a word.

Occasionally, when the little boy raised his swollen eyes, a fierce and defiant glare shone through.

[So pitiful. I hate domestic violence the most. Do you think if I cry, big brother will help him?]

[Host can give it a try.]

Yuan Ruan’s chubby little finger pointed at the battered child. She pouted, and bean-sized tears rolled down her round eyes, making anyone watching feel a pang of sorrow.

The Emperor, though aware Yuan Ruan was putting on an act, couldn’t help but feel distressed.

“My sweet Ruan, don’t be afraid. Father is here.” The Emperor gently wiped her tears while casting a glance at the boy.

His brows furrowed slightly. He gave Wu Yi a subtle hand signal.

Wu Yi clasped his hands in acknowledgment, then strode forward. Without hesitation, he kicked the man beating the child the hardest to the side.

The other man tried to retaliate, but Wu Yi countered with a punch, knocking him to the ground.

“What are you doing?!” Wu Yi grabbed the bloodied man by the collar.

“Attacking someone in broad daylight?”

The man, bleeding from his face, stammered, “Do you even know who I am? How dare you-“

Before he could finish, the tall, thin man beside him quickly covered his mouth.

Clearly more perceptive, the thin man glanced nervously at the Emperor’s group. Bowing repeatedly, he apologized, “We were just disciplining our child. Sorry for disturbing you. We’ll leave now.”

At that moment, the system’s alert rang out again:

[Is this place some kind of treasure trove? Another national fortune mission has been triggered!]

Everyone: !!!

The frequency is this high?

Yuan Ruan: [Huh? Another one? Should I be worried it’ll hurt?]

System: [No, no! This time, it’s a side quest for national fortune. It’s also related to the person you want to save. Those men are human traffickers. The boy lying there is a son of the Emperor!]

[What?!]

Everyone: !!!

Hearing the words “son of the Emperor,” Wu Yi didn’t wait for the mission details. He sprang forward, elbowing one man in the face and kicking the apologetic one to the ground.

The onlookers were stunned, taking a collective step back.

The attacked men were bewildered.

One even sounded confused and aggrieved: “Sir, we were just moving out of your way. Why are you in such a hurry…”

Wu Yi interrupted with a thunderous roar, “Shut up! You old scoundrel, how could you father such a delicate child? You must have stolen him! And you even dared to eye my young lady earlier. What’s next, stealing another child?”

Wu Yi’s accusations turned the tables. The villagers, who had been skeptical, now took another step back:

“I also think these two look like traffickers. Who beats a child like that?”

“How bold, stealing a noble’s child!” “Serves them right to be beaten! I feel like kicking them too.”

The Emperor despised human traffickers, especially when they dared to abduct his child.

“Take them away and execute them by a thousand cuts.” Holding the now-dazed Yuan Ruan, the Emperor approached the battered boy on the ground. “Don’t be afraid, Ruan. This is the punishment bad people deserve.”

Yuan Ruan remained in a daze.

The Crown Prince shared the Emperor’s fury toward the traffickers who dared to target the royal family. However, seeing Yuan Ruan still dazed, he worried his father and Wu Yi’s harsh actions had scared her.

After all, the little princess didn’t know her father could hear her thoughts. From her perspective, her father and Wu Yi were attacking without evidence, which might have frightened her.

Before the Crown Prince could dwell further, a soft yet excited voice echoed in his mind.

[Big brother is so cool! Beat them! Punish the traffickers! Confiscate their property!]

[Yes, yes! As expected of Male Mommy, sharp-eyed and decisive! Beat the traffickers to death!]

The Crown Prince:

He’d worried for nothing. Clearly, the little princess and the system hadn’t overthought the situation.

The Emperor’s furrowed brows relaxed, and he held Yuan Ruan even more gently.

[Host, this little guy has a big melon.]

The Emperor and the Crown Prince both paused.

Over time, they’d realized the system didn’t know everyone’s entire past. To be precise, it overlooked mundane lives. Now, hearing the system call this boy’s story a “big melon” piqued their curiosity.

[This boy is destined to be one of the rebel kings!]

Yuan Ruan gasped: [What?! That’s incredible!]

The three: !!!

A rebel king?!

The Crown Prince’s brows tightened, his gaze sharp.

Had it not been for the words “son of the Emperor,” Wu Yi might have already drawn his sword.

Wu Yi turned to the Emperor, his face tense. “Your Majesty, this…”

The Emperor’s gaze remained steady. “Remain calm. Let’s hear the full story first.”

[It’s not that extraordinary! According to the original timeline, your elder brother’s death-uh, no, I mean the Emperor’s death in the original timeline -plunged the Great Xia Kingdom into chaos. Military forces across the land became fragmented, and many local bandits shamelessly declared themselves kings.

This boy was thrown out of the palace as a child by an old palace maid. He was taken in and trained, developing remarkable skills.

Eventually, he escaped a brutal assassin training camp and joined an official Great Xia army. While fighting other rebel kings, he gained fame and secretly annexed their territories. He ultimately declared himself king but passed away from illness after just one month. His forces were then absorbed by others.

Because his name was Wu Yue and he only ruled for a month, later generations called him the “Moon King.”]

[Pfft, “Moon King”? That’s a bit harsh, but he was truly impressive.]

The Emperor and the others relaxed slightly.

This reasoning made his rise as a rebel king understandable.

The Emperor even felt a trace of pride. To rise amid chaos, swallowing up other rebel kings, he must have been exceptionally capable. Truly worthy of his bloodline. Perhaps he could even become a great ally to the Crown Prince in the future.

[Ah, one more thing. Records say he was impotent. Host, can you guess why?]

[Huh? Did he get injured?]

The Emperor and the Crown Prince: ???

Stop talking!

System, what are you trying to tell an innocent child?!