Chapter 16

No matter how much they speculated, nothing could have prepared them for the actual shock. The expressions of all the civil and military officials, imperial clan members, and noblewomen present were dazed. Never had they imagined that His Majesty would turn out to be a doting father to his daughter.

Not to mention a formidable and iron-willed ruler like His Majesty, even among the officials and imperial relatives present, many fathers had never once held their own daughters, let alone attended to everything personally. This completely overturned their expectations.

Regardless of how shaken the court officials were, the full-month banquet proceeded according to the schedule. First, an official from the Ministry of Rites delivered the opening remarks, followed by blessings recited by a respected elder lady from the Ying clan. Then, representatives from the elder members of the imperial family came forward to present gifts, symbolizing their blessings. Next, civil and military officials each offered their gifts as tokens of goodwill, thus completing the formalities.

To everyone’s regret, His Majesty kept the little princess cradled in his arms the entire time, so no one got a clear look at her. Who would dare risk their life by leaning in for a closer look? They’d likely be skewered by the guards’ halberds and thrown out.

Not only them, but even the imperial consorts hadn’t seen the little princess. Those below the rank of Madam, such as the Beauties, weren’t even permitted to attend the banquet. The four Madams were seated at a considerable distance from His Majesty. Among them, only Madam Yu had the “fortune” of seeing the little princess, thanks to her son. But given the chaotic circumstances at the time, how much could she really remember?

When the other two Madams quietly asked her, Madam Yu frowned in thought before hesitantly replying, “From what I recall, she was a lovely and adorable child, quite endearing.”

Madam Yu had to admit that when her son first brought the little princess to her, before she knew the child’s identity, she had been tempted by his suggestion to raise the girl as her own. There was something about the child that made people instantly fond of her. She sighed, “Why ask such things? Surely you don’t think you could take the princess from His Majesty to raise yourselves?”

The other two Madams laughed awkwardly. How could they? They already had children of their own—why invite trouble by raising someone else’s? It was just that seeing His Majesty dote so openly on the princess left them somewhat resentful.

Especially Madam Liang. She also had a little princess, the twelfth in line, who had once tried clinging to her father’s leg only to be brushed aside. If her own daughter couldn’t earn even a fraction of His Majesty’s affection, how could the child of a lowly palace maid receive so much favor?

Such thoughts were never spoken aloud. She could only grip her handkerchief tightly and sit quietly in her seat. In the imperial harem, no one dared defy His Majesty’s will. Everyone feared him. To hold the position of Madam and live securely was already the envy of countless women. She had to behave impeccably—not a single misstep was allowed.

Yet Madam Liang couldn’t suppress her discontent. She couldn’t resist asking, “Young Master Huhai was punished by His Majesty because of her. Don’t you have any thoughts about that?”

Madam Yu glanced at her in mild surprise. “What kind of temperament Huhai has, his own mother knows best. He spends his days bullying others, and it’s only because his victims were of lower status that he got away with it. This time, he kicked an iron plate—let it be a lesson. What thoughts could I possibly have?”

Madam Liang snorted softly under her breath. Coward! As if she had no thoughts—she just didn’t dare speak out against His Majesty.

The Qin Emperor watched as the little one in his arms, eyes sparkling at the array of full-month gifts, wriggled her chubby hands, eager to scramble out and inspect her treasures. He couldn’t help but pinch her tiny nose. “Little miser.”

The Little Dragon Cub would never admit to being a money-grubber. She simply enjoyed hoarding shiny little treasures—didn’t Dragon Father like them too? She refused to believe otherwise! If he didn’t, where had those beautiful big pearls on her Cloth Tiger come from?  

Sensing these thoughts, the Qin Emperor was momentarily speechless, contemplating the possibility of removing those South Sea pearls from the Cloth Tiger.  

The banquet had already begun. As the guests enjoyed their wine and dishes, they stole glances at the head of the hall, watching as His Majesty occasionally lowered his head to interact with the little princess, even revealing a faint smile now and then. It all felt surreal to them.  

Huhai, however, was already accustomed to such scenes and ate heartily. Only after halfway satisfying his hunger did he turn to look for his eldest brother, rubbing his hands together as he urged him to go hold their Little Imperial Sister for fun.  

Huhai had it all figured out—since he was so unpopular with their little sister and had been blacklisted by their father, he surely wouldn’t succeed in holding her. But his eldest brother definitely could.  

The gentle, jade-like young man took a sip of clear wine and glanced at his foolish younger brother. “If you tell Father you want to give our sister a gift for her full-month celebration, he likely won’t stop you.”  

Speaking of gifts… Huhai suddenly recalled that day in the palace when his father had pointed at the eyes on their little sister’s stuffed toy. He had felt the weight of his father’s disdain for his lack of extravagance—and the little princess’s usual scorn.  

Huhai stiffened his neck. Fine, he’d go—who was afraid of whom? The more he was thwarted, the more determined he was to reclaim his dignity.  

He patted his sleeves and rummaged through his chest pocket, only finding two items: the jade pendant bestowed upon him by his father at birth, and a handkerchief… stained with suspicious marks. Huhai remembered—this was the handkerchief the guard captain had used to silence him earlier, under their father’s orders.  

Disgusted, he curled his lip and tossed it aside.  

That left only the jade pendant in his hand… Every child in the palace had one, a symbol of their noble status. It was the most precious thing he owned, and parting with it pained him.  

But then Huhai thought of those glittering golden eyes his father had pointed out, and his competitive spirit flared. Wasn’t his jade pendant more valuable than those South Sea pearls?  

Let’s see how his father and little sister could look down on him now!  

Clutching the pendant, the young man strode confidently toward the head of the hall, chest puffed out.  

The Qin Emperor was busy restraining his restless cub when he noticed the boy’s shadow from the corner of his eye. He glanced over indifferently. “What is it?”  

The boy puffed out his cheeks and declared loudly, “Father, I’ve come to give my sister a gift!”  

The jade pendant in his hand still carried warmth, its surface smooth and soothing. Remembering his identity as the emperor’s son—a noble status—he straightened his back, triumphant. “I want to hold my sister!”  

The civil and military officials present abruptly looked up at the young prince. Little Lord…?  

The Qin Emperor’s lips curled in amusement as he regarded his son and motioned for him to approach.  

Head high, chest out, the boy marched forward with the pendant, stopping before his father and little sister. His fair, plump face couldn’t hide his pride. “Father, my gift.”  

“Here, for my sister.” Suppressing his reluctance, he extended his hand with the resolve of a martyr, revealing the jade pendant in his palm. Exquisitely carved with a coiling serpent motif, it bore the character “Hai”—Huhai’s personal mark.  

This was Huhai’s jade pendant.  

The stone was fine Yellow Dragon Jade, the patterns and inscription the work of a renowned master carver. Yet none of that compared to what it represented—the status of an imperial prince.  

The Qin Emperor studied his foolish son. “This… for your sister?”

The young man lowered his gaze to the chubby little bundle in his father’s arms. The little one stole a glance at him, then another at the jade pendant. Though her eyes clearly sparkled with interest, she stubbornly turned her plump little face away with an air of disdain.

His youthful pride flaring up, the boy gritted his teeth and nodded firmly. “Yes!”

The Qin Emperor took back the jade pendant without comment, placing it on a tray on the nearby table. The boy’s emotions shifted as quickly as they came, soon replaced by a triumphant smile as he secretly peeked at his little imperial sister, as if sharing his victorious joy with her.

Noticing his father’s gaze, the boy quickly suppressed his grin and fawned, “Father, isn’t this gift sincere enough? May I hold my imperial sister now?”

He needed to hold her longer to absorb more of her miraculous healing aura—only then would it be worth his jade pendant! Huhai clenched his fists with determination.

The Qin Emperor glanced at the jade pendant, then at the nervous boy whose rounded features bore some resemblance to the Little Chick. After consideration, he said, “There’s no harm in letting you hold your sister.”

The boy rubbed his hands together excitedly. Was he finally about to hold this miraculous cure?

The man then turned his gaze to Fusu in the distance.

Fusu rose with a gentle smile. “My younger brother might lack the strength due to his youth. I’d be glad to assist.”

The Qin Emperor approved.

Huhai: “…?!!!!!!”

As it happened, the emperor had been holding the child for so long that his arms needed rest, and the restless little one kept trying to crawl toward the pile of gifts. Freeing his hands to eat and drink was quite convenient.

Fusu gracefully carried away the little fatty, leaving Huhai standing alone in bewildered frustration.

After a long moment, the boy rushed forward. “Elder brother?”

Flushed with anger, he stared at his elder brother in disbelief.

The civil and military officials, however, nodded approvingly, praising the eldest prince for his exemplary elder-brother demeanor. Not only was he affectionate toward his younger sister and considerate of his younger brother, but even his child-holding technique was so practiced—truly worthy of being the eldest prince.

Having offered their compliments, the officials grew curious about the little princess’s appearance. Previously, they hadn’t dared look while she was in the emperor’s arms, but now that the eldest prince had brought her down, they could steal a glance.

After all, the eldest prince wouldn’t chop off heads.

Huhai was furious but powerless against his elder brother. Their father had personally ordered Fusu to hold the child, fearing the younger boy might accidentally drop his imperial sister due to his youthful carelessness—especially given his past record…

At this moment, the boy gazed at his elder brother’s tall, straight-backed figure with sudden envy. If only he could grow that tall too—as tall as his imperial brother, he could trick his little sister into letting him hold her. How infuriating.

Fusu carried his little imperial sister back to his seat and began pointing out the various foods and wines on his table, explaining each item’s name. The chubby little one nodded along as if understanding every word, appearing clever and adorable. Unable to resist, Fusu gently pinched her plump little cheek.

His warm, elegant voice praised, “How clever my imperial sister is.”

The plump little bundle grew even more enthusiastic, her chubby fingers pointing at this and that while Fusu patiently identified each item for her.

Seated beside Fusu were some elder clansmen of the Ying family, who enjoyed the privilege of watching the eldest prince educate his little sister and finally getting a proper look at the young princess’s face.

After seeing her, they couldn’t help glancing back at the emperor above them.

The emperor was tall and majestic, with handsome, well-defined features and an authoritative beard that commanded respect without anger. Seeing that beard, they couldn’t help falling into reminiscence…

That year, His Majesty was still a young lad in his teens, having just returned from Handan to inherit the throne…

An elderly madam remarked to her husband, “His Majesty was also an exceptionally delicate and handsome child when he was little.”

The old gentleman pondered for a moment before replying, “Indeed, our Ying family has always been good-looking. The Dowager was also quite beautiful, so naturally His Majesty was even more handsome.”

The emphasis here was on the word “even more.” By now, they had long forgotten what His Majesty actually looked like, only recalling that he was handsome. But the stronger impression was of his majesty, sternness, ruthlessness, and iron will—an emperor not to be trifled with.

The old gentleman couldn’t help but chuckle. “She does bear some resemblance to His Majesty in his childhood, though the little girl is even more delicate.”

The young man, “enduring humiliation to fulfill a greater mission,” hovered around his elder brother, reaching out to tease the little dumpling. He kept eagerly coaxing, “Would you like Huhai to hold you?”

“Huhai is even more fragrant than big brother.”

The chubby dumpling remained unmoved, even disdainfully extending a plump finger to push against his palm, trying to move away this mortal hand. Unaware of the true meaning behind this gesture, the young man thought his little imperial sister was finally willing to play with him. Delighted, he laughed and pushed his hand even closer, praising in rapture, “Little Imperial Sister’s hand is so soft.”

Little Dragon Cub: “…”

Seeing the people around the eldest prince watching with great interest and discussing animatedly, the others couldn’t sit still any longer. Eagerly, they picked up their wine cups, pretending to come over to offer a toast.