Chapter 7: Tyrant Dad, It's Time for War

【Huh? Why did they leave? I remember Third Brother met the heroine at a banquet, and the heroine’s identity is even more interesting...】

Who is it?

Emperor Qixuan and Consort Shu held their breath, terrified of missing any important information.

"Yaoyao."

After a short rest, the Crown Prince walked out.

Emperor Qixuan glared at him irritably. He couldn't have come earlier or later; he just had to show up at the critical moment.

The Crown Prince was confused, but he still knelt beside Yaoyao, his face full of the joy of surviving a disaster and gratitude toward her. "I am your eldest brother. Thank you for saving me."

Chu Yaoyao took out a piece of candy. "You're welcome."

【Of course Crown Prince Brother can't have anything happen to him, otherwise Great Qi will have no successor.】

Although he had already known this, hearing the inner voice again still made him panic for a moment.

Looking at the small, open hand, the Crown Prince lowered his eyes to hide his deep thoughts. When he was unconscious earlier, he had heard someone speaking—the voice was milky and childish—and he had thought it was just a hallucination from being delirious.

Just now, his Imperial Father had vaguely mentioned Yaoyao’s miraculous nature to him in the inner room.

So many imperial physicians had been helpless, yet the medicine Yaoyao casually produced could cure him... and the mysterious person that only Yaoyao could see...

Chu Jun pushed aside his chaotic thoughts, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he took the candy. "Thank you, Yaoyao."

Regardless of anything else, Yaoyao was his sister and his savior; he would definitely protect her.

Emperor Qixuan, anxious to know who the heroine was, interrupted the siblings' eye contact.

"Yao'er, your third brother is of age. Help him choose someone at the banquet in a few days, and I will grant them a marriage."

Chu Yaoyao made the "old man looking at a smartphone" expression.

【Emperor Daddy, are you joking? A marriage for a prince, and you're asking a two-and-a-half-year-old toddler?】

The Empress was also puzzled. She looked searchingly at the Emperor, Consort Shu, and even the Crown Prince, feeling that they were hiding something from her.

【Grant what marriage? Wait until Third Brother meets the heroine...】

Emperor Qixuan’s face showed anticipation. *Go on, who is it?*

*Hmph, once I know who the heroine and the male lead are...*

Murderous intent surged in the depths of Emperor Qixuan’s eyes.

【Oh my, I haven't had breakfast or lunch. I'm so hungry.】

"Ahem, Maowen, serve the meal."

Chu Yaoyao looked up in confusion. 【What's going on? Is my cheap father a tapeworm in my stomach? How did he know to serve food the moment I said I was hungry?】

Emperor Qixuan: *Can't it just be a father-daughter connection?*

【And the punishment Mother Consort gave Xia Ci earlier, it was exactly what I was thinking...】

The more Chu Yaoyao thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.

The few people who heard her inner voice grew tense.

The alarm in the system program also began to beep.

【No, no, I need to pee! I'm going to wet my pants!】

Consort Shu instinctively wanted to pick her up, but Emperor Qixuan reacted quickly, pulling her aside to distract her. "Consort, you are missing a personal maid. I will have the Imperial Household Department select a few honest ones to send to Qionghua Palace in the next two days."

【Fire! Put out the fire!】

【Look, there are assassins in the sky!】

【Wow, look! Manager Su’s pants have a hole in them.】

*Hehe, I'm going to use my ultimate move now.*

【I want this sky to no longer be able to cover my eyes, and this earth to no longer be able to bury my heart...】

Ignoring the chattering in his ears, Consort Shu suppressed her laughter and looked at Yaoyao helplessly. She had almost been fooled by this little one.

"Many thanks, Your Majesty."

Chu Yaoyao scratched her head. 【No one is paying attention to me? Did I guess wrong?】

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

【Alright, I overthought it. It turns out they just heard my stomach growling.】

The three of them breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged knowing glances. It seemed they would have to be even more careful in the future.

Emperor Qixuan picked up Yaoyao. "Su Maowen, go see how the preparations are coming along. Didn't you hear that your little princess is hungry?"

Chu Yaoyao cheered in her heart: 【Woohoo, this is the Imperial Kitchen! Steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roasted flower duck... *slurp, slurp*, I want to eat so much.】

The result did not disappoint her. Looking at the table full of delicacies, Chu Yaoyao’s excited tears flowed from the corners of her mouth.

However... only a small bowl of minced meat porridge was placed in front of her. Chu Yaoyao looked at the culprit with big, accusing eyes.

【Cheap Father, you have no heart! You eat the good stuff and drink the spicy stuff, and you just fob me off with a bowl of porridge?】

Emperor Qixuan looked up at her. *You haven't even grown all your teeth yet! You want to gnaw on bones?*

"Maowen, I think this porridge is too greasy. It might be hard for the little princess to digest. Change it to rice soup."

Hearing this, Consort Shu nodded in agreement. Yao'er had just recovered from a serious illness; she should eat something light.

【What?!】

Chu Yaoyao grabbed her spoon and shoved it into her mouth, fearing that the meat would fly away if she waited a second longer.

Seeing her waving the spoon frantically, as if afraid she wouldn't get to eat, the Empress spoke up: "I asked the imperial physician earlier; Yaoyao can eat some meat in moderation."

Hearing this, Chu Yaoyao was a bit moved. 【Empress Niangniang, you are so kind. I will repay you in the future. I will definitely help you protect Crown Prince Brother.】

Emperor Qixuan: *So it's fine when she lets you eat meat, but I'm the bad guy? Did you forget who prepared the meat porridge for you?*

Thinking this, Emperor Qixuan picked up a pork rib, waved it in front of Yaoyao, and then slowly put it into his own mouth.

Noticing the others trying to hold back their laughter, Emperor Qixuan regretted it. *How could I do something so childish?*

"Ahem, Crown Prince, move this stir-fried magnolia petal dish to the Empress's side. Your mother likes vegetarian food."

【That's not true! Empress Niangniang doesn't chant Buddhist scriptures, so how could she not like meat? It's because the imperial physician said Crown Prince Brother has asthma and shouldn't touch greasy food, so Empress Niangniang eats vegetarian food with him.】

The Crown Prince’s hand paused as he reached for the dish. He looked at his mother, who was eating the magnolia petals with a faint smile, and his eyes gradually turned red.

*So that was it?*

*Mother has been eating vegetarian food every day just because of me?*

In a daze, he remembered his childhood, when he would clamor for meat as soon as he saw it on the table. Once, when his wet nurse wasn't looking, he grabbed a chicken leg and shoved it into his mouth; his mother had been terrified.

From then on, he never saw meat in his mother's meals again...

After he grew up, he rarely ate with his mother, so why was she still...

His thoughts returned to the present. The Crown Prince moved his hand, removing the magnolia petals and replacing them with a dish of shredded chicken in cold sauce.

The Empress looked at him, puzzled.

"I think this shredded chicken looks good. Mother, could you taste it for me?"

"That's right, and this meatball soup is very fresh," Consort Shu also began to persuade her.

"When I was young, I was always greedy for my father's wine. Once, I secretly took a sip and slept for a whole day. It scared my father and the others to death." Speaking of childhood anecdotes, Consort Shu’s face showed nostalgia.

"After that, my father never dared to drink in front of me, and gradually he quit."

"When I grew up, I understood that it wasn't that my father loved drinking so much; his old injuries would ache when the weather was cold, and drinking some wine made it easier to bear."

"Come to think of it, I was ignorant when I was young. Actually, for children, the most important thing is that their parents are safe and well." Consort Shu looked at the thoughtful Empress, trying to comfort her.

【Grandfather?】

Yaoyao, who had been burying her head in her food, looked up.

【How could I have forgotten such an important thing?

Soon, Western Yue will attack the border. Great Qi will lose, and three cities will be lost in a row!】

Chu Yaoyao was so focused on her memories that she didn't notice the three people listening to her inner voice quietly put down their bowls and chopsticks.

【Originally, Grandfather was a master strategist; Western Yue had no chance of winning.

But the deputy general under Eldest Uncle was bought off by Western Yue. Before the battle, he told the enemy about the defensive situation. Most importantly, the quantity and location of the grain supplies were also leaked. Western Yue sent people to burn the grain. Without supplies, the Great Qi army was trapped by Western Yue for over ten days, and they won without any effort.】

【Without food, the army had no strength to fight and could only be slaughtered. In the end, Grandfather was captured, and his head was cut off and hung on the city wall at the border of Western Yue!

The entire hundred-thousand-strong Great Qi army was buried alive by the enemy!

Blood flowed for ten miles, and the smell of blood could be smelled from a hundred miles away, lingering for a long time...

The two uncles fought to the death to break out of the encirclement, hoping to return to the capital to request reinforcements, but halfway there, they received the imperial decree that the Li family had committed treason and were to be beheaded on the spot!】

(End of chapter)