The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 21

Gone?!

 

How could it be?!

 

Qiu Junyao stared in shock, his eyes widened. This single sentence caused his heart to ache, and he felt a brief dizziness. His eyelids drooped uncontrollably like lead, and he staggered back a few steps, nearly falling over.

 

Seeing this, Yin Yuan’s heart raced, and he rushed forward to catch Qiu Junyao as he began to fall, his voice filled with alarm:

 

“Your Majesty!!”

 

Fortunately, although Qiu Junyao was supposed to be a weak and sickly monarch who relied on medication, he was still a healthy young man at heart and quickly overcame the sudden dizziness.

 

He lay in Yin Yuan’s arms, opening his eyes groggily and seeing Yin Yuan’s anxious face. He forced a smile and said weakly:

 

“I’m fine.”

 

Qiu Junyao said, “Help me up. I need to go find Xiao Qi.”

 

“Your Majesty, please rest for a while,” Yin Yuan said, his voice filled with concern. “Your health has always been poor, and it’s better to let the eunuchs and palace maids handle this matter.”

 

“Xiao Qi might be upset with me. He’s very clever, and if I don’t go personally, he might not come out.”

 

Struggling to stand, Qiu Junyao took the cloak handed to him by Lai Fu and draped it over Yin Yuan, fastening the belt for him. Then, he picked up a lantern and said:

 

“I’ll go search for him.”

 

Qiu Junyao was right. Qiu Jingxiu was indeed upset—

 

Or rather, he was dissatisfied.

 

In his little mind, there was only one thought—

 

Although Qiu Junyao doted on him the most, as soon as a stranger, Fourth Brother, arrived, Father wanted to punish him!

 

This thought kept spinning in Qiu Jingxiu’s head, making him climb up and down, until he climbed up a tree and, hidden behind thick leaves, watched Qiu Junyao and the palace servants search for him with lanterns.

 

Qiu Junyao’s health was already poor, and he couldn’t stand outside for long, especially in the cold. After a while, he couldn’t bear it any longer and began to cough lightly.

 

His cough was not loud, but it alerted Lai Fu, who had been serving him closely. He stepped forward and advised in a low voice:

 

“Your Majesty, please go back. We servants will continue the search.”

 

“If I’m not here, even if you search until dawn, you won’t find him.”

 

The wind blew, and Qiu Junyao’s throat was already starting to hurt, his voice slightly hoarse. “It’s okay, keep searching.”

 

“But…”

 

“Father, please go back.”

 

Suddenly, a clear voice rang out, and Qiu Junyao turned to see Qiu Jingyue standing not far away. He was left in the side hall due to the late hour, and Qiu Junyao couldn’t help but be surprised:

 

“Why are you here?”

 

After a pause, he apologized slightly, “Did I wake you up?”

 

Qiu Jingyue couldn’t remember how many times he had been surprised by Qiu Junyao’s words and actions today. He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and shook his head:

 

“No. Your Majesty didn’t. This is the duty of the son to share his father’s worries. Your Majesty, please go back. I will help find my younger brother.”

 

“But…”

 

“Jingyue is right.” Yin Yuan also stepped forward, took a cloak, and draped it over Qiu Junyao’s shoulders. His tone became firm:

 

“Your Majesty, if you continue to neglect your health like this, the original three-year agreement will become meaningless.”

 

Qiu Junyao sighed helplessly, touched Yin Yuan’s hair, and whispered, “Fine.”

 

He said, “Don’t be angry. I’ll go in with you.”

 

Yin Yuan’s complexion improved at his words, and he helped Qiu Junyao back inside. Before leaving, he gave Qiu Jingyue a meaningful look, indicating that he should behave well and improve his favorability in front of Father.

 

Although Qiu Jingyue didn’t understand why Yin Yuan was helping him, he remembered Yin Yuan’s kindness. However, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled about the three-year agreement mentioned by the Emperor and Empress.

 

What did they mean by the three-year agreement?

 

Three years later, what are they going to do? Is it related to the heir to the throne?

 

As Qiu Jingyue pondered over this, he wandered around aimlessly, intending to search casually before returning to sleep. But just as he walked under a tree, his forehead suddenly throbbed, and a stone flew from somewhere, hitting him on the head, causing blood to flow:

 

“Ah!”

 

In pain, Qiu Jingyue crouched down. After recovering, he was about to stand up when another stone flew towards him.

 

This time, Qiu Jingyue learned his lesson and dodged to avoid it. Squinting at the ground where a small stone landed, he then raised his head sharply and looked up at the tree—

 

And there, he saw two faint pupils staring at him intently, like ghosts in the dark night.

 

Startled by this sight, Qiu Jingyue’s heart almost leaped out of his chest, and he screamed:

 

“There’s a ghost ahhhh~~~!!”

 

His shout attracted all the palace maids and eunuchs nearby, who gathered around the tree and looked up:

 

“Where’s the ghost? Where??”

 

Finally, amidst everyone’s terrified gaze, Qiu Jingxiu cautiously poked his round little head out:

 

“Woof!”

 

The palace maids and eunuchs: “…”

 

Qiu Jingyue: “…”

 

Realizing it was just the little brat playing tricks on him again, Fourth Prince, whose face had turned pale with fear and anger, climbed the tree like a monkey, grabbed Qiu Jingxiu by the back of his clothes, and stormed into the Fragrant Pavilion, shouting:

 

“Father, Father!”

 

Qiu Junyao had just been helped to lie down by Yin Yuan and hadn’t even rested for half a moment when he was startled awake again. Irritated, Yin Yuan shot a glare at Qiu Jingyue:

 

“How could you be so reckless? Didn’t you see that your father is resting?”

 

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Qiu Junyao coughed lightly as he got up, asking through the curtain:

 

“Did you find Jingxiu?”

 

“We found him!” Qiu Jingyue, feeling wronged by Yin Yuan’s glare, could only vent his anger on Qiu Jingxiu, pressing down on the little brat’s head and kneeling:

 

“He was hiding in the tree, trying to scare me with tricks, and even threw stones at my head!”

 

“What?!” Qiu Junyao was suddenly startled, and he opened the curtain to look. He was almost driven to a heart attack by what he saw—

 

Qiu Jingyue’s head was indeed swollen from being hit by a stone, with blood seeping out. The once handsome young man now looked like a convict just released from prison, and Qiu Jingxiu was even worse off, with scratches on his face from the branches, and his body dirty and wet with dew and leaves from the night.

 

Seeing the sorry state of the two boys before him, Qiu Junyao’s heart ached and his hand trembled with anger. He shouted sternly:

 

“Lai Fu, where’s the cane!”

 

“Here it is, Your Majesty!”

 

Lai Fu quickly handed over the cane, and Qiu Junyao took it, raising it high in front of the kneeling brothers—

 

Qiu Jingyue and Qiu Jingxiu trembled with fear, instinctively wanting to curl up under the open palms, but then restrained themselves.

 

…Then, they were lightly tapped with the cane.

 

It didn’t hurt much, just a slight sensation of something falling.

 

Qiu Jingyue and Qiu Jingxiu cautiously opened one eye each, watching Qiu Junyao who was panting heavily with his hand raised.

 

The cane had been wrapped in silk at some point, so it didn’t hurt much when it hit their palms. But looking at the expressions of Qiu Junyao and the two brothers, it seemed like Qiu Junyao was the one who had been punished.

 

“I’m so angry!” Qiu Junyao didn’t even strike a second time before throwing the cane aside, “You two!”

 

Qiu Jingyue and Qiu Jingxiu hurriedly knelt down, waiting for Qiu Junyao to scold them. But after a long time of being called “you two” by Qiu Junyao, there was no follow-up scolding. After a while, he only managed to say:

 

“Don’t do it again!”

 

“……….”

 

Seeing the education method in front of him, which made a lot of noise but had little effect and didn’t even involve actual punishment, Qiu Jingyue was stunned for a long time and couldn’t recover.

 

Compared to his previous experiences of being hit and scolded by Qiu Junyao and even having a vase smashed over his head at the slightest provocation, this time could almost be considered gentle.

 

But Qiu Jingxiu had never seen Qiu Junyao lose his temper before. In no time, realizing that he had done something to anger the emperor, tears streamed down his face, and he extended his hand, crawling on his knees to Qiu Junyao, crying for a hug.

 

Naturally, Qiu Junyao felt sorry for the child and reached out to lift him up, gently removing the leaves from his forehead:

 

“Are you cold? Hungry?”

 

Qiu Jingxiu nodded while sobbing.

 

“Ah, you really…”

 

Qiu Junyao didn’t know what to say to these two anymore, sighed, and after a moment, waved his hand to call the night duty physician to treat the wounds of the two brothers. After the fuss, it was already halfway through the night.

 

Qiu Junyao decided not to sleep anymore. Thinking that Qiu Jingxiu hadn’t eaten all night, he directly ordered breakfast to be served.

 

After last night, Qiu Jingyue already had an understanding of Qiu Jingxiu’s favoritism.

 

He rarely restrained his playful and naughty nature, quietly eating his meal while thinking.

 

After last night’s incident, Qiu Junyao gave up teaching Qiu Jingxiu how to use chopsticks or manners.

 

Resigned, he lifted Qiu Jingxiu onto the table, placing rice cakes and chicken legs in front of him, his voice low:

 

“Jingxiu, eat what’s in front of you, don’t take your brother’s, and don’t throw a tantrum, understand?”

 

Qiu Jingxiu glanced at Qiu Junyao and nodded obediently.

 

Qiu Junyao breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a glance with Yin Yuan. Then, he picked up his chopsticks and said to Qiu Jingyue:

 

“Eat.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiu Junyao picked up the dishes from the table and put them in Qiu Jingyue’s bowl:

 

“I’m sorry for last night.”

 

Qiu Jingyue, feeling both honored and shocked, quickly shook his head: “Your Majesty is too kind.”

 

“Later, I’ll call Lai Fu to get some good ointment from the warehouse for you to apply, don’t ruin your appearance.” Qiu Junyao glanced at Qiu Jingyue’s forehead, frowning and sighing:

 

“Ah.”

 

Qiu Junyao almost doubted his life.

 

He began to doubt whether he was capable of bearing the responsibility of raising children. Otherwise, why did he repeatedly encounter setbacks, and the two children ended up in such a sorry state, covered in dirt and bruises?

 

Perhaps sensing Qiu Junyao’s frustration, Yin Yuan glanced at him, reached under the table, and gently held Qiu Junyao’s hand, giving it a comforting squeeze.

 

Feeling the pressure on his fingertips, Qiu Junyao looked up, and in the corner of his eye, he met Yin Yuan’s worried gaze.

 

He smiled and shook his head, about to habitually say he was fine when suddenly, a ding sounded in his ears.

 

Qiu Junyao froze, following the sound to see a pure white rice cake falling in front of him, and the person holding the chopsticks… was Qiu Jingxiu, who he had been teaching but still couldn’t grasp it.

 

Qiu Junyao: “…”

 

Qiu Jingxiu’s movements with the chopsticks were still awkward and clumsy, obviously unable to control the strength properly. Most of the rice cakes in the plate were scattered everywhere, broken, while the one in Qiu Junyao’s bowl remained intact:

 

“Um!”

 

Qiu Jingxiu crawled to Qiu Junyao’s side, holding the chopsticks, and with great effort, he managed to pick up a chicken leg and tremulously placed it in Qiu Junyao’s bowl despite failing several times.

 

Watching this scene before him, Qiu Junyao was somewhat incredulous, his voice trembling: “Jingxiu?”

 

“Ah!” Seeing his success, Qiu Jingxiu happily waved his hands. But without paying attention, he accidentally stabbed the chopsticks deeply into the table.

 

Qiu Junyao: “…”

 

The bit of emotion he felt at seeing his child grow up suddenly disappeared. Looking at the naturally unique Qiu Jingxiu before him, he sighed with a bitter smile. Just as he was doubting life, Qiu Jingxiu suddenly climbed into his arms, hugged his neck, and opened his mouth.

 

Qiu Junyao thought he was going to bite his hair again and subconsciously moved his head to the side. But the next moment, Qiu Jingxiu’s action made him freeze on the spot—

 

“Father… Father.”

 

Qiu Junyao: “……”

 

“What did you say?!”

 

He stared at him in astonishment, then Qiu Jingxiu turned his head and laboriously called out to Yin Yuan:

 

“Mom… Mother.”

 

Yin Yuan: “…”

 

What was this sudden urge to cry?!

 

Qiu Jingyue, who was on the side, was also moved by this warm atmosphere. He felt a bit triumphant as he looked at Qiu Jingxiu.

 

And Qiu Jingxiu, as if fulfilling his wish, turned his head back, grinned at Qiu Jingyue, and slowly said with difficulty:

 

“Bro… Brother!”

 

Fourth Prince Qiu Jingyue: “…”

 

He was so angry that he almost broke the chopsticks in his hand:

 

Are you doing this on purpose?!