The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 20

Actually, for Qiu Junyao, when he first found out he had to raise four children, he wasn’t that resistant.

 

Because whether it’s raising one or two, it’s still raising children, and Qiu Junyao had a good attitude about it—

 

Not really!!!

 

Looking at the torn sleeve, Qiu Junyao felt like he was going to have a heart attack. His face darkened so much it could almost drip water.

 

Standing beside Qiu Junyao, Yin Yuan held the clothes passed to him by Laifu, stifling his laughter as he tried to console him:

 

“Your Majesty, please don’t be angry.”

 

Yin Yuan and Laifu together helped Qiu Junyao remove his torn clothes. Laifu knelt on the ground to adjust Qiu Junyao’s belt, while Yin Yuan draped a new robe over him:

 

“They’re just children. It’s normal for them to be a bit mischievous.”

 

“Being a bit mischievous is normal, but having such strength is not.” Qiu Junyao found it unbelievable:

 

“He’s only five years old, yet he can tear my sleeve off?!”

 

Is he a wolf pup or a wolf king??

 

“Didn’t Physician Qiu say our Jingxiu is different from other children?”

 

Yin Yuan arranged Qiu Junyao’s long hair behind his back and smoothed the creases on his clothes:

 

“Your Majesty, don’t be angry. Teach him slowly. The child will turn out well.”

 

“Hopefully.” Soothed by his gentle words, Qiu Junyao glanced at Yin Yuan:

 

“Where are Jingyue and Jingxiu?”

 

“They’re kneeling outside.” Yin Yuan raised his face, smiling at Qiu Junyao:

 

“Maybe they know you’re angry and don’t dare to make a sound, so they’re kneeling outside the hall.”

 

“Let’s go take a look.” Qiu Junyao held Yin Yuan’s hand and walked out. The eunuchs quickly pulled back the crystal bead curtain. Qiu Junyao looked and indeed saw Qiu Jingyue and Qiu Jingxiu kneeling dejectedly on the ground. When they saw him, they immediately raised their heads in unison. Although there seemed to be a great divide between them, their actions were surprisingly synchronized as they both called out:

 

“Father!”

 

“Hmm!”

 

“Don’t call me that, I can’t bear it.”

 

Qiu Junyao sat down in front of them, nonchalantly picking up a cup of tea and drinking it, clearly showing he didn’t want to deal with them.

 

Seeing Qiu Junyao angry, Qiu Jingyue and Qiu Jingxiu were anxious and didn’t know what to do. They began pushing and shoving each other, blaming each other like squabbling schoolchildren.

 

Qiu Junyao, seeing everything: “……..”

 

Heart attack ×2.

 

Yin Yuan, sitting beside him, quickly gave the two brothers a look.

 

Qiu Jingyue, being older, caught on first and gratefully glanced at Yin Yuan. He then kneeled forward a few steps, trying to grab Qiu Junyao’s sleeve, but Qiu Junyao swiftly pulled it back, making him scratch his face awkwardly.

 

“I’m sorry, Father. Yue’er was wrong.”

 

“What did you do wrong?” Qiu Junyao asked.

 

“I shouldn’t have quarreled with my younger brother.” Qiu Jingyue admitted his mistake in a sarcastic tone, clearly not speaking sincerely:

 

“Yue’er is older and should be more sensible. I shouldn’t have caused trouble for Father.”

 

Qiu Junyao: “…….”

 

Wow, even an 82-year-old Longjing tea isn’t as fragrant as you.

 

Qiu Junyao, exasperated, looked at the little green tea puppy, then turned to Qiu Jingxiu, ready to say something. He saw Qiu Jingxiu kneeling forward a few steps, holding a cane in his trembling hands, offering it up to Qiu Junyao.

 

Qiu Jingyue: “………”

 

A worthy opponent, using the bitter ploy!

 

But Qiu Jingyue didn’t think the bitter ploy would work on their cold-hearted father. Every time he angered Qiu Junyao, he would get something thrown at his head. A mere cane wasn’t enough for Qiu Junyao.

 

As Qiu Jingyue expected, Qiu Junyao didn’t take the cane but threw it aside and grabbed the teacup on the table—

 

Here it comes, the moment when his father, in anger, would grab anything nearby to throw!

 

Qiu Jingyue, secretly pleased, was about to watch Qiu Jingxiu get hit when, to his shock, the unexpected happened—

 

Not only did Qiu Junyao not throw the teacup, but he also picked Qiu Jingxiu up from the ground and gave him water:

 

“Kneeling for so long, are you thirsty?”

 

Supported by Qiu Junyao’s hand, Qiu Jingxiu gulped down a cup of tea, then clung to Qiu Junyao’s neck, looking very aggrieved.

 

“Don’t be so spoiled,” Qiu Junyao laughed. “Little rabbit.”

 

Qiu Jingyue: “…….”.

 

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, suspecting there was something wrong with his vision—

 

Is this a lie?! Since when would his father show such a kind and friendly expression?!

 

As someone who specialized in getting beaten up, Qiu Jingyue looked at the scene of “father and son’s affection” before him, feeling sour to the point of deformation. He sadly realized that the child born of a lowly palace maid like this one, who couldn’t even speak clearly, indeed seemed to be more favored than him.

 

Not only could he be held by the emperor, but he could also be fed water by the emperor.

 

Since birth, the emperor had never held him! Let alone fed him water!

 

Thinking about this, Qiu Jingyue knelt on the ground, feeling genuinely tearful this time.

 

“… What’s wrong with you?” Qiu Junyao, holding Qiu Jingxiu, looked at Qiu Jingyue, who seemed about to cry, with surprise:

 

“Did Jingxiu really hurt you with his bite?”

 

With that said, Qiu Junyao lowered his head, pinching Qiu Jingxiu’s chin to make him open his mouth. Qiu Jingxiu obediently bared his teeth, revealing a row of sharp teeth that seemed to hurt when touched.

 

Qiu Junyao: “…….”.

 

He felt a little sympathetic towards Qiu Jingyue.

 

After hesitating for a moment, Qiu Junyao spoke up:

 

“Get up, Jingyue.”

 

He said, “Today, it’s your brother’s fault. He’s still young and doesn’t understand. Father will apologize on his behalf to you, okay?”

 

“…….” Qiu Jingyue stopped the tears swirling in his eyes, raised his head, and looked at Qiu Junyao in astonishment.

 

No way, the emperor is actually apologizing to him?!

 

Upon realizing this fact, Qiu Jingyue’s first reaction wasn’t touched, but shock. His body knelt down before his consciousness, banging his head against Qiu Junyao:

 

“Father, your child doesn’t dare!”

 

Qiu Junyao: “……”.

 

He looked at the trembling Qiu Jingyue with a slightly furrowed brow.

 

Seeing Qiu Jingyue’s reaction, it’s not difficult to imagine how strict the original owner was with these imperial princes.

 

Thinking of this, Qiu Junyao sighed and softened for a moment. He put down Qiu Jingxiu, crouched down in front of Qiu Jingyue, and spoke gently:

 

“Your younger brother is sick and can’t control his words and actions. You’re the older one, forgive him this once, alright?”

 

“….Yes.” Qiu Jingyue endured his resentment:

 

“Jingyue will listen to Father.”

 

“Alright, you may say you listen to me, but you’re still feeling aggrieved inside.”

 

Qiu Junyao reached out and pinched Qiu Jingyue’s doll-like face, smiling:

 

“Stay for dinner tonight. I’ll have the kitchen prepare your favorite dishes. How about it?”

 

Whenever he was sick, Qiu Jingyue would always sneak away with food from the table whenever he came to visit. It’s clear how much this prince loved the food from the imperial kitchen.

 

“Really?!” When it came to food, Qiu Jingyue’s eyes lit up, joyously exclaiming:

 

“Thank you, Father!”

 

“Alright, get up.” Qiu Junyao wasn’t actually angry, just pretending to scare the mischievous Jingxiu.

 

At dinner time, Qiu Jingyue indeed saw many of his favorite foods on the table, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

 

He wanted to sit beside Yin Yuan, but Yin Yuan was holding Qiu Junyao, so whenever he tried to sit there, Jingxiu would start growling softly at him. Qiu Jingyue could only sit opposite Yin Yuan with resentment.

 

“Alright, let’s eat.” Qiu Junyao knew Qiu Jingyue didn’t dare to eat first out of courtesy, so he spoke up to let everyone start eating. Qiu Jingyue quickly picked up his chopsticks and directly took the big chicken leg from in front of Qiu Jingxiu.

 

Qiu Jingxiu: “…….”.

 

He angrily puffed up his face: “Wuuah!”

 

Qiu Jingxiu broke free from Qiu Junyao’s grasp, climbed onto the table, and tried to reach for the big chicken leg in Qiu Jingyue’s bowl. However, his restless hand was knocked away by a pair of chopsticks that appeared halfway:

 

“Jingxiu!”

 

Qiu Junyao held the chopsticks and lightly tapped his hand:

 

“Don’t bully your brother!”

 

Even though Qiu Junyao doted on Qiu Jingxiu, he knew that the one who spoke first today and hurt someone was Qiu Jingxiu:

 

“If you continue like this, Father will punish you!”

 

After so many days, Qiu Jingxiu naturally understood human speech. He glanced at Qiu Junyao.

 

Although Qiu Junyao didn’t hit him hard, a child’s hand was delicate. Being lightly tapped by chopsticks left a faint red mark.

 

Seeing that his father didn’t favor him anymore, Qiu Jingxiu clutched his hand, which had been hit by the chopsticks, with a grievous expression, angrily glaring at Qiu Jingyue, then running away without looking back.

 

He hated his fourth brother!

 

“Ah!” Yin Yuan wanted to go after him but was stopped in his tracks by Qiu Junyao’s words:

 

“Let him go.”

 

Qiu Junyao picked up a piece of meat and put it in Yin Yuan’s bowl:

 

“Eat.”

 

Yin Yuan hesitated for a moment before sitting down.

 

Qiu Jingyue also glanced at Qiu Junyao in surprise, then lowered his head and began to eat his meal with a puzzled expression.

 

After dinner, Qiu Jingxiu still hadn’t returned.

 

As it was already late, Qiu Junyao allowed Qiu Jingyue to stay in the side hall, while he and Yin Yuan bathed and went to bed. Soon, the lights were turned off.

 

Lying inside, Yin Yuan heard Qiu Junyao tossing and turning outside. Unable to resist, he leaned over and asked softly:

 

“Your Majesty, can’t you sleep?”

 

Qiu Junyao immediately stopped moving and spoke in a low voice:

 

“You’re not asleep either?”

 

“How could I sleep when Your Majesty is like this?” Yin Yuan sighed helplessly. “If Your Majesty is worried about Jingxiu, why not go check on him?”

 

“No.” Qiu Junyao refused decisively. “He needs to reflect on his actions.”

 

Three days without punishment, he had become too unruly.

 

Hearing Qiu Junyao’s words, Yin Yuan couldn’t help but chuckle lightly.

 

Leaning against Qiu Junyao’s chest, he listened to his steady heartbeat. “Jingxiu is indeed wild and unruly, but he’s still young. Skipping a meal for a night might be too much for him to bear.”

 

As soon as Yin Yuan finished speaking, he felt Qiu Junyao’s body tense up.

 

After a moment, Qiu Junyao abruptly sat up, putting on his outer robe and heading out. Anxious, Lai Fu hurriedly ordered the palace servants to light the lamps.

 

“Where’s Jingxiu?” 

 

Qiu Junyao didn’t even have time to fix his disheveled hair as he urgently asked, “Where is he?”

 

“He’s being looked after by Huan Chen,” Yin Yuan sat up in the bed, pulling back the curtains with a smile. “Knowing Your Majesty’s concern, I’ve instructed Huan Chen to watch over him.”

 

“……” Hearing Huan Chen’s name, Qiu Junyao breathed a sigh of relief, but the next moment, Yin Yuan’s words made his heart tense up again:

 

“But Your Majesty hasn’t ordered to feed Jingxiu, and even Huan Chen didn’t dare to secretly give Seventh Prince any food.”

 

“What time is it now?” Qiu Junyao frowned again.

 

“Your Majesty, it’s past two in the morning.”

 

Lai Fu hurriedly replied.

 

It was past two, and Jingxiu might be starving.

 

Qiu Junyao couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret for making Qiu Jingxiu reflect. “Have Huan Chen bring Seventh Prince here first, and then have the kitchen prepare some easily digestible food. Make sure it’s not too hot.”

 

Qiu Jingxiu still didn’t know how to use chopsticks and would only grab with his hands. Food that was too hot might scald his skin.

 

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

 

Lai Fu bowed and retreated.

 

Fifteen minutes later, just as the impatient Qiu Junyao was about to ask Lai Fu where they had found him, Huan Chen was brought in by Lai Fu.

 

Seeing this, Qiu Junyao stood up, about to speak, but as soon as Huan Chen saw him, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.

 

Qiu Junyao’s heart skipped a beat, watching as Huan Chen ran into the inner chamber, kneeling before him and tremblingly reporting:

 

“Your Majesty, this servant deserves death… The young prince… he’s… he’s missing!”

 

She trembled as she spoke: “Your Majesty, the Seventh Prince… he’s gone!”