The Emperor and Little Chubby Boy 2

Imperial Physician Sun prescribed the medicine, and the attendants in Zichen Palace were all quick and efficient. As noon approached, the Emperor invited Lin Lang and the little one to join him for lunch. Half an hour after the meal, the little one took his medicine. The medicine wasn’t bitter at all; it had a mild medicinal taste, and with sugar added, it tasted almost like sugar water.

Initially, Lin Lang was reluctant to have lunch with the Emperor, as he was there to work, not to freeload with his child. The thought of it made him feel a bit embarrassed.

Seeing this, the Emperor teased, “You’ve brought the kid, seen the doctor, and now you’re feeling shy? Isn’t that a bit pretentious?!”

“Besides, I just find eating alone a bit boring. It’s just a lunch, and yet the top scholar is making such a fuss. Isn’t that a bit petty?”

Lin Lang couldn’t help but clench his fists. How had he not noticed before that the Emperor had such a sharp tongue? He used to act so obedient in front of him, but it was all an act. His acting skills deserved an award.

However, Lin Lang was not one to easily compromise. He sat at the desk, unmoving, seriously reading the memorials in his hand, with an attitude that even if the King of Heaven came, he wouldn’t go to lunch.

The imperial meal was already set, and the atmosphere was quiet for a moment. Lin Lang turned his head and saw the little one sitting obediently next to the Emperor, his eyes almost glowing green as he looked at the chicken, duck, fish, and goose on the table.

If it were someone else, Lin Lang might have told the little one not to be so rude. But since the Emperor was the little one’s other father and hadn’t fulfilled his fatherly duties for a single day, letting the little one eat his meal was only fair. So, he didn’t say a word to stop him.

Thinking this, Lin Lang carefully reviewed the important news from various regions that he had picked out earlier. He was engrossed in reading when he heard the little one running over, holding up a big chicken leg to his mouth, saying, “Daddy, eat! If you don’t eat, your tummy will be hungry!”

A warm feeling surged in Lin Lang’s heart. This chubby boy was truly worth raising!

With a soft heart, he gently patted the little one’s slightly curly hair and said, “Daddy’s not hungry, you eat yourself.” He remembered that someone else’s hair was also a bit naturally curly, but as they grew up, it became less noticeable and much harder, lacking the soft feel it had when they were young. Indeed, hair reflects the person; the older they get, the less cute they become.

Lost in thought, Lin Lang didn’t notice the little one persistently trying to feed him the chicken leg. Seeing his father ignoring him, the little one pouted and shook his father’s arm with his other hand, saying, “Daddy, eat with me. If you don’t eat, I won’t eat either.”

Lin Lang, always indulgent with the little one, couldn’t resist his pleading and obediently went to the table to eat with him.

The Emperor glanced at him, ready to tease him again, but seeing his face so similar to Ning Mo’s, he swallowed his words and instead picked a few pieces of braised venison for him, saying, “You’re so thin, eat more meat!”

Lin Lang was taken aback. When he was Ning Mo, the Emperor treated him the same way. He was momentarily dazed and didn’t refuse immediately.

The Emperor, realizing his own awkwardness, thought to himself that it was because Lin Lang looked so much like Ning Mo that he acted on impulse. But this wasn’t his Ning Mo.

Having already picked the food, he couldn’t say much. Seeing Lin Lang’s seemingly unwilling expression, he said harshly, “Don’t overthink it. I’m just concerned about my minister. After all, you have to help me handle so many memorials, right?”

Lin Lang was speechless. Everyone in the court knew that the Emperor cared for no one but Ning Mo. Having a minister accompany him for a meal was impossible, let alone picking food for them. However, he had no intention of exposing the Emperor, as an embarrassed and angry Emperor was prone to retaliate.

Both of them felt awkward, and they didn’t talk much during the meal. Only the sound of the little chubby boy happily eating made the atmosphere more lively.

The little one, though only a little over two years old, was good at eating and sleeping. He could eat independently, though he would spill some food, but Lin Lang never restricted him.

The little one would even pick up the spilled food and eat it, as Lin Lang believed in the principle that a little dirt wouldn’t harm you. Moreover, modern society suggests that appropriate exposure to bacteria can boost immunity, so he didn’t mind.

But the Emperor and Eunuch Wang had never seen such behavior. The Emperor frowned, somewhat disdainful, and said, “Isn’t my imperial meal rich enough? Why does Lin Zhuangyuan let this little one eat food that’s fallen on the table?”

Eunuch Wang immediately added, “Lord Lin, it’s better not to let the young master eat food that’s fallen on the table, lest he gets a stomachache.”

The little one seemed to understand they were talking about him. His chubby hand had just picked up a piece of chicken leg meat from the table and stuffed it into his mouth, looking innocent and confused. His black eyes rolled around, as if he understood, and he showed a big smile, tearing off a large piece of the chicken leg on the table and offering it to the Emperor, saying, “Huang Huang, for you!”

He had heard the palace attendants call the Emperor “Huang Shang,” but he didn’t know what it meant, and his speech wasn’t very clear, so he changed it to “Huang Huang.” It was hard not to call him a little clever one.

Eunuch Wang immediately corrected him, “It’s Huang Shang!”

The little one repeated, then said, “Huang Huang—”

The Emperor’s temple twitched, and he said with a dark face, “I don’t eat!”

He waved his hand impatiently at Eunuch Wang, “Enough, why are you arguing with a child? Let him be.”

The little one wasn’t really willing to share his big chicken leg with Huang Huang. Hearing that Huang Huang didn’t want it, he immediately pulled the chicken leg back and took a big bite himself.

Lin Lang ate slowly and methodically, but he didn’t eat much and finished quickly. During their argument, he had already finished his meal, put down his chopsticks, and wiped his mouth, saying, “Every grain and meal should be cherished. Even if it falls on the table, it shouldn’t be wasted.”

“The little one has always been like this. I apologize for troubling Your Majesty and Eunuch Wang.”

The Emperor snorted and didn’t bother with the little one anymore. He was afraid the little one would hand him a greasy piece of meat, which he found very unappetizing.

Eunuch Wang, seeing this, slyly said, “Lord Lin is always mindful of the people, truly admirable.”

He continued, “Having a little one in the palace makes it lively and full of life, which is delightful to see.”

“This old servant’s greatest wish at this age is to see little princes and princesses in the palace, so I can die in peace.”

Lin Lang thought, that’s not too much to ask. Isn’t there one right in front of you?

The Emperor slammed his chopsticks on the table and said sternly, “If you can’t speak properly, don’t speak at all. Are you too comfortable? Your heart is really big!”

Eunuch Wang was startled and immediately knelt on the ground, slapping his mouth, “This old servant was foolish, speaking out of turn!”

Lin Lang felt a bit sorry, thinking about the Emperor’s temper. Despite Eunuch Wang’s loyalty, he still got scolded.

The little one was startled, and the half-eaten chicken leg in his hand fell onto the table with a thud. He looked at the angry Emperor and then at the apologizing Eunuch Wang, his mouth quivering, looking like he was about to cry, feeling very wronged.

The Emperor’s heart skipped a beat, fearing the little one would start crying, and he quickly lowered his voice, “Get up quickly! You’ve scared the little one!”

Eunuch Wang quickly put on a smiling face, sincerely saying, “This old servant thanks Your Majesty!”

Lin Lang: What kind of abnormal people are these?

Eunuch Wang was genuinely happy. When he saw the Emperor angry, he realized he had touched a sore spot. The Emperor only thought of Ning Shizi, and he had brought up the wrong topic. He thought the Emperor would punish him severely, but thanks to the Lin family’s little master, he escaped easily, feeling a bit lucky and more appreciative of the little one.

After all, with his insight, he could see that the Emperor treated Lin Zhuangyuan and the little master differently. Even if it was because of Ning Shizi, it wasn’t something ordinary people could compare to. As a servant, he should serve them well.

Lin Lang didn’t know what Eunuch Wang was thinking. He just stayed with the little one until he finished eating, let him digest for a while, and then gave him the medicine. Soon, the little one was drowsy, and the Emperor had the attendants take him to the warm chamber for a nap.

The Emperor, full of energy, didn’t have the habit of napping. He was thinking about how to pass the time when he saw Lin Lang bring over all the memorials, sorting them into three categories and placing them in front of him, saying, “Your Majesty, I have roughly reviewed all the memorials. Most of them are greetings and praises for your wisdom, a few are requests for you to establish an empress and continue the lineage, and a small portion are important news from various regions.”

Lin Lang placed the small portion of important news in front of the Emperor, “I believe the greetings and praises don’t require your attention. As for the requests for establishing an empress, I dare not make a decision. These important news items require your insight.”

The Emperor’s temple twitched, his eyes showing surprise and reluctance. He wasn’t really interested in reading the memorials; he just wanted an excuse to have someone around. Even though it wasn’t Ning Mo, having someone so similar to Ning Mo nearby made him feel better. It was a bit self-deceptive, but a drowning person would grasp at any straw.

Having just finished lunch, even though he was energetic and didn’t need a nap, he had no interest in hearing about memorials!

He wanted to shout that this would give him indigestion! Didn’t Lin Lang have any sense?

But seeing Lin Lang’s serious and stern expression, as if he were dealing with a child, gave him the illusion of facing Ning Mo. His anger dissipated instantly, and he became as quiet as a chicken.