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No, that wasn’t right. Feng Xiaohan was no gentleman—so what was there to feel guilty about?
Wuyu gave her Father a humph, then kicked off her shoes and tossed them straight at him. She snatched the pillow and threw herself onto the bed, tugging the silk quilt over her little body and rolling herself tightly into it—making sure not to leave a single corner for her Father.
Feng Xiaohan glanced down at the embroidered shoe that had landed on him. This little girl sure had quite the temper.
“Are you a little pig bundling up in a quilt?”
Wuyu ignored her Father, offering him only the back of her head in response.
Feng Xiaohan sighed and set her shoes aside properly.
He then lay down as well, casually tugging at the quilt to cover his own waist.
Wuyu quickly fell asleep.
Feng Xiaohan also closed his eyes and drifted off.
When Wuyu woke up from her nap, she stretched her little arms lazily.
“Father, I’m leaving now.”
“Mm,” Feng Xiaohan replied, half-asleep and drowsy.
“Father, where are my shoes?” Wuyu was rummaging all over the bed in search of them.
“Underneath,” Feng Xiaohan murmured as he turned over, clearly in no mood to be disturbed.
“Father, help me get them.” Wuyu reached out and nudged him.
Feng Xiaohan ignored her.
“Faaather~”
Feng Xiaohan: ………
“Faaath—”
“Stop calling already.” Feng Xiaohan sat up, his peerlessly handsome face full of helplessness.
He had been right all along—never raise a two- or three-year-old little girl. Utterly exhausting.
He bent down, reached out, and handed her the shoes.
Then, he lay back down to sleep.
Wuyu put on her shoes, then rummaged through her little bag and pulled something out.
“Father, give me your hand~”
With his eyes still closed, Feng Xiaohan extended one hand toward her.
Wuyu slipped something onto his wrist, then disappeared.
Feng Xiaohan felt something placed around his wrist. He forced his drowsy eyelids open and glanced down.
A flower bracelet?
It was actually… quite pretty.
He left the hand with the flower bracelet resting outside the blanket and drifted off again.
Back in the bamboo house in the small town, Wuyu started enthusiastically unpacking all the things her Father had bought her.
“So many pretty clothes!”
She shoved them all into her wardrobe in one go, nearly unable to close the doors.
She placed the hair accessories neatly on her desk.
“Hairpins Father bought me…” Wuyu stared at them, quietly taking in their very straight-man sense of style.
In the end, she let out a sigh.
“It’s the thought that counts.”
So she put them away.
Like a busy little bee, Wuyu buzzed around tidying up the house.
At last, her eyes fell on a flower vase over a meter tall. Wuyu sighed deeply.
Sigh~ Why did Father buy such a big vase? Is it meant to hold me or something?
With all her strength, she pushed the vase toward the wall.
“Yah!” Wuyu scrunched up her little bun-like face, her tiny hands pressing against the vase with great effort.
After much struggling, she finally got it settled by the wall.
Proudly patting her hands and placing them on her hips, Wuyu declared her task complete.
Time to go to work!
With her little backpack on her back, she hopped and skipped her way out the door to start her shift.
The Regent Prince slept through the entire afternoon and only awoke around dusk.
Qing’an had been keeping watch outside the entire time, worried that something might have happened to Feng Xiaohan.
“Qing’an.” Feng Xiaohan’s voice drifted out.
Qing’an immediately entered, a trace of concern showing on his gentle face.
“Your Highness slept for two full hours. This subordinate was truly worried.”
“No need for concern.” Feng Xiaohan extended his hand, allowing Qing’an to help him into his wheelchair.
“Your Highness isn’t putting on an outer robe? It might be chilly.”
“No need. This prince isn’t leaving the Courtyard,” Feng Xiaohan replied. He hadn’t the slightest intention of stepping beyond the door.
Qing’an carefully helped Feng Xiaohan into the wheelchair.
Feng Xiaohan handed the flower wreath to Qing’an.
“Set it in a cool place to dry.”
“Yes.” Qing’an cupped the wreath in both hands and hung it in a shaded corner.
When did His Highness start liking these little trinkets?
Lately, he’d developed an unusual fondness for fresh flowers—several vases had already been arranged throughout the Hall.
Once the wreath was hung, Qing’an summoned someone to bring the evening meal.
While Feng Xiaohan ate, Qing’an gave his report on affairs within the residence.
“The Eldest Young Miss will return to the Mansion the day after tomorrow.”
63
“I’ve already sent someone to clean up the Mingzhu Courtyard.”
Feng Xiaohan gave a slight nod.
After finishing dinner, he lay back down on the bed again.
Qing’an thought to himself: His Highness has been especially sleepy lately. Could something be wrong with his health?
Feng Xiaohan fell asleep early, and even after several attempts, no one could rouse him.
Frustrated, he vented his irritation by flinging the pillow.
The next morning, Feng Xiaohan was fully dressed and headed to court.
Qing’an pushed his wheelchair from behind, while Wenshu walked beside them. One in blue, one in green—they looked like twin guardians flanking him.
Feng Xiaohan wore a black court robe embroidered with golden cranes. The official robes were originally supposed to be adorned with python motifs, but Feng Xiaohan found them ugly and refused, opting instead for celestial cranes.
Whatever emblem adorned his garments would naturally become a symbol of nobility.
“Greetings to the Prince! Long live the Prince!”
Wherever Feng Xiaohan passed, the civil and military officials all knelt to pay their respects.
Upon entering the Grand Hall, the Emperor rose from his seat and appeared to show concern.
“Xiaohan, is your health any better?”
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s concern. It has improved,” Feng Xiaohan replied, his cold and emotionless voice showing no hint of warmth.
“That’s good, that’s good,” the Emperor said cheerfully as he sat back down.
Feng Xiaohan turned his head slightly in the direction of the civil and military officials. They immediately lowered their heads, not daring to meet the eyes covered by his black silk blindfold.
Even though they knew he couldn’t see, the two men standing behind the Regent Prince could—and that was enough.
If Feng Xiaohan was like the King of Hell, then those two were like Black and White Impermanence.*
[*Note: In Chinese folklore, Black and White Impermanence are spirit officials who escort the dead.]
“Esteemed ministers, it has been a while,” Feng Xiaohan said with a faint curve of his lips.
The officials silently thought: We didn’t want to see you either, but we dare not say so.
“Zhang Boxun,” Feng Xiaohan called out.
“Y-yes, Your Highness, I am here,” Zhang Boxun replied, stepping forward with his head bowed and kneeling.
“I have said before—so long as you all behave and attend to your duties, I won’t bother meddling in your affairs.”
“But you’ve seized fertile land for yourself, allowed your relatives to accept bribes.”
“How many lives do you think you have?”
“Spare me, Prince! Have mercy!”
“Spare me, Prince!” Despite how carefully he had covered his tracks, he had still been found out.
“Take him away. Wenshu, inform Yanchuan to conduct a thorough interrogation.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Amid the repeated cries for mercy, the remaining civil and military officials still kneeling were drenched in cold sweat.
He dealt with someone right off the bat…
It seemed the Regent Prince was not in a good mood lately.
Once Feng Xiaohan finished dealing with the matter, he fell silent. Qing’an brewed tea and handed it over, and Feng Xiaohan leisurely took a sip before saying, “You may rise.”
Only then did the officials dare to get up.
The Emperor showed no sign of anger over Feng Xiaohan’s overstepping authority; his face remained full of cheerful smiles.
When court officials presented their matters, they didn’t consult the emperor, but instead turned directly to Feng Xiaohan.
As for Feng Xiaohan, he rarely commented on such trivial issues. He simply responded coldly with one sentence:
“Let His Majesty make the decision.”
Feng Xiaohan rested his head on his hand, his mind drifting involuntarily to thoughts of that little girl.
Tsk, why does he keep thinking about that little girl? He’s the busy Regent Prince, after all.
Why didn’t she come to see him last night?
Feng Xiaohan couldn’t figure it out.
Was she too focused on her work again?
Is there any humanity in the place she’s at, making such a tiny little girl work?
Tsk, unacceptable.
Though Feng Xiaohan was clearly displeased inside, he didn’t show it on his face, which remained as emotionless as ever.
After court was dismissed, Qing’an pushed Feng Xiaohan out of the hall.
The autumn sunlight was warm and pleasant, but Feng Xiaohan had no time to enjoy it.
Upon returning to Wangchuan Courtyard, Feng Xiaohan waved everyone away.
“Yu’er?”
“Coming, Father~” A mud-covered Little Girl appeared.
The moment she saw the table full of food, her eyes locked onto it like glue.
“So much yummy food!”
“Meat!”
Feng Xiaohan: Could she spare him a glance?
“Did you go roll around in the mud?” Feng Xiaohan looked at her face and clothes smeared with dirt.
“Father, I’m already two and a half years old—I don’t play in the mud anymore! I got dirty helping Sister Wisteria plant flowers,” Little Girl’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the food.
Feng Xiaohan looked at her drooling expression.
“Let’s eat first.” Her gaze looked as though she might devour the whole table.
Hearing her Father’s words, Little Girl eagerly stood on the bench to grab bowls—but she still remembered to be filial.
She handed the bowl to her Father first.
She was a very well-behaved and dutiful little child.