Chapter 6: Chapter 835: Little Uncle Must Be Obedient

Regarding the matter of sightseeing, Mu Qingge was very clear that while adults might know how to appreciate the beauty of the world—finding aesthetic value in even a blade of grass or a tree—children might not necessarily do the same.

Therefore, she never forced this upon him.

However, she would guide and educate him.

After all, the ability to appreciate beauty is not something everyone is born with.

The ability to appreciate is also something that needs to be taught.

She wasn't particularly skilled at it herself, but she happened to know hundreds of poems and songs by heart from her childhood studies. Whenever they encountered beautiful scenery, she would use stories and poetry to describe it to the child in an interesting way.

The little Prince was already a diligent and eager learner. Furthermore, having not seen Mu Qingge for several years, and not knowing what Rong Jue had told him in the past, he held her in high respect, adoration, and affection. Whatever she said, he never opposed; he listened very attentively.

At night, while bathing or before going to sleep, he would take the initiative to ask about the poems Mu Qingge had taught him, writing them down several times and reciting them.

His memory was exceptionally good; if he recited them at night, Mu Qingge would test him the next day, and he could still recite them perfectly.

Another particularly good habit was that he kept his own notebook. Whatever Mu Qingge taught him, he would record it stroke by stroke.

When Mu Qingge first saw this notebook, she was quite surprised.

The notebook was not thin; it was actually quite thick, with four characters written on the cover: "Zhan'er at Six."

The handwriting on it was hidden within a graceful style, and Mu Qingge recognized at a glance that it belonged to Rong Jue.

Mu Qingge flipped it open and saw that it recorded various events, big and small, in Rong Zhan’s life. Whatever he learned, he would write it down—it was somewhat like a diary.

The handwriting inside the notebook was Rong Zhan’s own. As a child, his records were simple, but very clear.

Through this little notebook, Mu Qingge learned quite a few things about her son.

As she flipped through it, she couldn't help but ask, "Zhan'er, did your Father ask you to write this?"

"Yes."

The little Prince had already finished his bath and was lying on the soft couch, silently reciting poetry. Hearing this, he replied obediently, "However, Zhan'er only started writing it at five and a half. Before that, Father wrote it for me."

Mu Qingge’s hand paused as she turned the page. "Before? So there are records from before you were five?"

"From the moment Zhan'er was born, there have been," the little Prince tilted his small head and said earnestly. "Father is a bit more diligent than Zhan'er. Before I was five and a half, Father could fill two books for every year of my life. There are eleven books in the study of the West Wing."

Mu Qingge took a deep breath.

She hadn't known any of this.

She finally understood just how much Rong Jue had cherished their son all these years.

In her past life, with advanced technology, people could record a person's growth through photos and videos. Rong Jue, however, used the written word to record every big and small event in the child's growth process.

Outsiders all said that Prince Jue was cold and heartless, but they could never glimpse his meticulousness and tenderness.

Suddenly, she missed him.

She put down the notebook, reached out to stroke Rong Zhan’s head, and asked softly, "Zhan'er, do you miss Father?"

The little Prince blushed slightly, likely feeling a bit shy, and it took a long moment before he gave a soft "Mm."

Mu Qingge curled her lips into a smile. "Father is busy. When the time is right, shall we go back to find him?"

"Okay."

And so, the two of them played for about twenty more days before setting off to return to the Jueyan Imperial City to find Ji Ziyan.

After nearly a month, the agreement between Tianqi and Jueyan had been settled, and Jueyan had already begun taking over the cities gained from the victory.

Therefore, this period was the busiest time for Ji Ziyan.

Because the cities were acquired from three different countries, each with different customs and public sentiments, it was no easy task to take them over smoothly while also managing them well.

As a result, during these days, the morning court sessions lasted until noon almost every day, and after lunch, he still had to summon veteran officials to discuss various emergencies.

The moment Mu Qingge and Rong Zhan saw Ji Ziyan, they felt the young boy looked haggard.

"You've lost weight."

Mu Qingge sighed softly and reached out to touch his face.

"Have I?" Ji Ziyan didn't feel it himself.

"Yes." The little Prince stared at Ji Ziyan and said very seriously, "You must not have been eating properly."

"Pfft."

Ji Ziyan laughed, bent down to pick up the little Prince, and replied in his youthful voice, "Zhan'er is right. Little Uncle hasn't been good; I haven't been eating properly."

He had been too busy and anxious lately, and he had no appetite for anything.

With high pressure, little food, and poor sleep, he had naturally thinned out.

The little Prince lowered his long eyelashes, one hand wrapped around Ji Ziyan’s neck while the other touched his face. "Little Uncle must be obedient."

"Okay, I'll be obedient. I will definitely eat well."

It happened to be lunchtime, and the palace servants had already prepared the meal. Ji Ziyan sat down with the little Prince in his arms and picked up a piece of crispy fried meat to put into the little Prince’s mouth, only to be glared at by Mu Qingge. "Put him down and let him sit by himself."

Her son was six and a half years old, after all; being held while eating made her worry that her son would feel embarrassed when he grew up.

"I want to hold him."

The young monarch had no dignity at this moment, pouting like a child. "It’s been a month; I’ve missed Zhan'er so much I could die. Besides, he’s only six and a half, still just a half-grown child. If I don't hold him now, he’ll be too big to hold or won't let me hold him anymore."

"..." She had to admit, Mu Qingge felt that what Ji Ziyan said actually made quite a bit of sense.

"Is it good?"

Seeing the little Prince nod, Ji Ziyan picked up another piece and fed it into his small mouth.

Jueyan’s crispy fried meat was different from other places; it carried the faint fragrance of flowers, and the meat quality was exceptional. Ji Ziyan knew the little Prince liked it, and whenever the little Prince was in the palace, it was a dish that had to be prepared for every meal.

Having not seen Ji Ziyan for such a long time, the little Prince missed him dearly. He obediently let himself be held and fed, his cheeks puffing out with soft, milky fat as he chewed with his small mouth, a sight that made one's heart melt.

"Oh my..."

Mu Qingge’s heart was truly melted by her son’s cuteness. She looked at her son and sighed, "Why am I so amazing? How could I have given birth to such a handsome, cute, and obedient son?"

The little Prince blushed at her words, covering his face with his small hands.

Mu Qingge found him even more adorable and really wanted to snatch her son back to hold him herself.

Ji Ziyan snorted, "Little Mother, you are shameless. Zhan'er clearly looks more like Brother; even if anyone is amazing, it’s Brother who is amazing."

"You’re right about that." Mu Qingge didn't feel unhappy at all; instead, she smiled until her eyes narrowed. "Your brother is much better-looking than me. It’s better that he looks like him than like me."

Of her son, only his eyes resembled hers; everything else was almost entirely like Rong Jue.

Ji Ziyan found it amusing, shook his head, and said helplessly, "Don't just watch Zhan'er eat; you should eat too."