The Sickly Seedling Dresses Up As An Unfortunate And Muddled Monarch - Chapter 3

Three years, perhaps not long in the eyes of a healthy person, but for Emperor Qiu Junyao, it was a precious and precarious period.

 

To preserve this hard-won lifespan, Qiu Junyao had to be extremely cautious.

 

He knew that based on the information he had learned since his transmigration, he would soon be fatally stabbed in the heart by his own beloved eldest sons. The primary reason for this gruesome act was to compete for his new and old wives.

 

The tale of the stepmother and the prince was explosive in any type of narrative. Most people focused on the taboo and sensational aspects of this story, paying little attention to the ill-fated, cuckolded old father whose tragic end was predetermined.

 

Unfortunately, Qiu Junyao had the misfortune of transmigrating into that unlucky emperor, destined to fall like a box amid the tragic background music of his sons declaring, “Father, it’s time to abdicate.”

 

Damn it, this is not the ending I wanted!

 

Thinking of his pitiful fate, Qiu Junyao couldn’t help but feel sorrowful. His expression grew even more despondent, twisted on that sickly face, appearing particularly distorted.

 

Seeing this, everyone in the hall instinctively knelt down. No one dared to make a sound. The messenger who had come to report also promptly left, announcing Emperor Qiu Junyao’s decree to the princes waiting outside.

 

“Isn’t Father summoning us to attend to his illness?”

 

The eldest prince, Qiu Jingming, originally kneeling on the ground, almost stood up when he heard the messenger’s words. He was barely restrained by the second prince, Qiu Jing, who held him back:

 

“How could that be?!”

 

Qiu Jingming, born with a pair of sword-like eyebrows that resembled Qiu Junyao, especially the thin lips that were so reminiscent of the emperor, appeared even more robust than the other princes present. Even while kneeling, he exuded an imposing aura that made him seem overbearing in front of the messenger:

 

“Every time Father falls ill, he calls us to attend to him. How come he’s not asking for us this time?!”

 

“I’m not sure about that,” the messenger, a pitiful societal worker, replied. Hearing Qiu Jingming’s accusation, he lifted his eyelids to glance at him, then slowly lowered them:

 

“I dare not speculate on His Majesty’s intentions.”

 

“You!” Qiu Jingming exclaimed angrily. “It must be that you didn’t serve well, angered Father, and now he’s taking it out on me!”

 

“Father loves me so much. How could he not want to see me?!”

 

After speaking, Qiu Jingming stood up, looking like he wanted to barge into the hall. The messenger instinctively tried to stop him but hesitated, fearing that he might accidentally harm the eldest prince. In the end, he reluctantly took a few steps back, allowing Qiu Jingming to enter the hall.

 

As soon as he entered the Hall of Diligent Rule, the scent of medicine permeated the air, reaching Qiu Jingming’s nose even before he approached the side hall where Emperor Qiu Junyao was resting.

 

“Who?”

 

Naturally, Qiu Junyao knew who had entered, but he deliberately asked, lest he reveal his extraordinary hearing and vision, arousing suspicion among his sons:

 

“Who is making noise outside?”

 

“Father, it’s your son.”

 

Several meters away, Qiu Jingming knelt down with a thud, performed a ritual bow, and sincerely said:

 

“Your son came to visit Father, willing to accompany Father until your health is restored.”

 

While saying this, he also sneakily raised his eyes, seemingly wanting to glance at Qiu Junyao’s current condition.

 

According to the original plot, at this moment, “Qiu Junyao” would already be lying on the bed half-dead. Even if extraterrestrials were disco dancing by his bedside, he wouldn’t be able to stand up and escape. He could only laboriously breathe, inhaling toxic gases into his lungs.

 

So, Qiu Junyao couldn’t perform too healthy. However, he couldn’t act as if he were seriously ill either. He had to maintain a delicate balance. In a deep voice, he said:

 

“No need.”

 

He continued, “I… I know my own body. There’s no need to trouble you to come.”

 

“How can it be considered troublesome?”

 

Qiu Jingming hastily moved a few steps on his knees, wanting to approach and perhaps lift the curtain to take a look at Qiu Junyao. However, he seemed to be considering something and didn’t take any action. He said:

 

“Please allow your son to attend to your illness!”

 

Separated by a few meters, Qiu Junyao knew who had entered, but he deliberately asked to avoid revealing his extraordinary senses and arousing suspicion among his sons:

 

“Who?”

 

“It’s your son, Father.”

 

With a thud, Qiu Jingming knelt down, bowed, and sincerely expressed, “Your son came to visit, willing to accompany Father until your health is restored.”

 

While speaking, he sneakily raised his eyes, seemingly trying to get a glimpse of Qiu Junyao’s current condition.

 

According to the original plot, at this point, “Qiu Junyao” should be lying half-dead on the bed. Even if extraterrestrials were disco dancing by his bedside, he wouldn’t be able to stand up and escape. He could only breathe laboriously, inhaling toxic gases into his lungs.

 

So, Qiu Junyao couldn’t appear too healthy. But he also couldn’t act seriously ill. He had to maintain a delicate balance. In a deep voice, he said:

 

“No need.”

 

He continued, “I… I know my own body. There’s no need to trouble you to come.”

 

“How can it be considered troublesome?”

 

Qiu Jingming hastily moved a few steps on his knees, wanting to approach and perhaps lift the curtain to take a look at Qiu Junyao. However, he seemed to be considering something and didn’t take any action. He said:

 

“Please allow your son to attend to your illness!”

 

As soon as the words fell, the Second Prince, Qiu Jinghan, and the Fourth Prince, Qiu Jingyue, who followed behind Qiu Jingming, also arrived. They lifted their robes and knelt down in unison, knocking their heads in a formation even more precise than a military parade:

 

“Please grant permission, Father, for your sons to attend to your illness!”

 

Emperor Qiu Junyao: “….”

 

He coughed forcefully a few times, pondering what kind of excuse he could use to send them away.

 

In the midst of contemplation, he glanced subtly at his cheap sons through the gap in the bed curtain, noticing a consistent nervousness in their eyes.

 

Qiu Junyao keenly deduced from their shared anxious expressions that this tension didn’t stem from genuine concern for a family member’s illness. It was a fear of exposure, an apprehension about something being uncovered.

 

What could make them insist on staying by his side to attend to his illness?

 

Perhaps he was overthinking, and they were simply afraid the original emperor would depart this world without naming a crown prince?

 

These thoughts circled in Qiu Junyao’s mind, and as he considered each possibility, he lowered his tone, trying to maintain his composure and uphold his persona:

 

“I said, no need.”

 

He continued, “You don’t even listen to the words of your Emperor?”

 

This seemingly casual remark struck the princes like a thunderbolt, instantly changing their facial expressions.

 

Everyone lowered their heads, afraid to speak.

 

After a moment, just as Qiu Junyao was about to speak again and persuade them to leave, the Second Prince, kneeling on the ground, suddenly spoke in a calm tone:

 

“Father, your son is merely concerned about your health and wishes to accompany you.”

 

Thinking he was about to revisit the previous topic, Qiu Junyao was preparing to decline. However, the Second Prince, Qiu Jinghan, skillfully redirected the conversation:

 

“But if today, we could see Father, ensure your well-being, then your sons will naturally depart.”

 

… What did he mean? They wanted to see him?

 

Qiu Junyao lowered his gaze, lightly rubbing his fingertips in his palm. His mind raced, and soon, a speculation formed—If he wasn’t mistaken, these cheap sons of his had a mission to ensure his demise from the beginning of the story. The previous elixirs might have been poisoned under their instructions. Their constant attendance during his illnesses was simply to witness the moment of his death.

 

In their plan, this recent period of unconsciousness was supposed to last longer than before. However, unexpectedly waking up early and being able to speak had disrupted their plans. They were now anxious to see him, making sure they could be at ease.

 

Although uncertain if this speculation was correct, Qiu Junyao sighed softly, feeling even more fatigued.

 

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Having gained an additional three years of life, he was now bound to engage in a battle of wits with his supposed children for the remaining three years.

 

With this in mind, the eighteen-year-old Qiu Junyao, who had acquired three good-sized sons, thought for a moment and decided to take it one step at a time. The immediate priority was to get them to leave quickly. Otherwise, encountering Ying Yuan, who was also coming to attend to his illness, halfway would be a disastrous situation.

 

With his thoughts settled, Qiu Junyao began calculating.

 

He cleared his throat, then lifted his hand, placing his fingertips on the edge of the bed curtain. As he lifted the curtain, he said:

 

“Alright then, take a look over there.”

 

After speaking, he gently hooked his fingertips, lifting the bed curtain directly and revealing his face.

 

Qiu Jingming immediately raised his head to look.

 

He expected to see an extraordinarily haggard and pale appearance, given Qiu Junyao’s penchant for elixirs and love for fasting. However, as Qiu Jingming’s gaze landed on Qiu Junyao’s face, he was thoroughly shocked—

 

The man lying in bed not only didn’t appear aged but had a face that seemed excessively young. He looked only a few years older than Qiu Jingming and didn’t show significant signs of aging. Instead of portraying a withered and lifeless state, the lingering traces of illness added a touch of fragile beauty to him, like an elegant and subtle ink painting, exuding a slightly solemn aesthetic.

 

Like bamboo in the rain, like mist in the mountains—graceful, elegant, and serene. Flowing light reflected in the snow, like a gentleman banished from the immortal realm.

 

“Father?!”

 

Qiu Jingming could hardly believe that the person lying in bed was the father he interacted with daily. However, he couldn’t deny that, although this face appeared much younger, the appearance remained unchanged from Qiu Junyao’s memory over a decade ago:

 

“How…?”

 

He was somewhat tongue-tied, finding it extremely challenging to articulate his words for the first time.

 

The people present naturally noticed that Qiu Junyao had unknowingly become younger, but no one dared to mention it. Qiu Junyao himself hadn’t realized, so he curiously asked:

 

“What happened to me?”

 

“…Nothing.”

 

Among the princes, the calmest was the Second Prince, Qiu Jinghan.

 

Being the one who resembled Qiu Junyao the most, he regained his composure immediately after the shock. Straightening up, he gave a faint smile and said:

 

“Big brother was overly delighted to see Father in good health, hence the unintentional outburst.”

 

“…Yes, yes, yes!” Qiu Jingming quickly echoed Qiu Jinghan’s words, nodding vigorously like a chick pecking at grains:

 

“My brother is right!”

 

His handsome face turned almost purple, “Your son was just overly surprised and lost control due to Father’s well-being!”

 

Qiu Junyao: “…”

 

He found this situation somewhat baffling but couldn’t be bothered to play along with these cheap sons. With a tired expression, he pointed at his head:

 

“Enough.”

 

He said, “Since you’ve seen it, and I am unharmed, there’s no need for you to attend to my illness. You can all leave now.”

 

Having said that, Qiu Junyao glanced at the little eunuch standing beside him, who understood and promptly ushered Qiu Jingming and the others out.

 

As the doors of the Hall of Diligence closed, Qiu Jingming’s face immediately darkened.

 

He cast a glance at the closed doors, his eyes seemingly uncertain, and after a moment, he seemed to think of something, tossed his sleeves, and left the palace.

 

Qiu Jinghan was evidently more composed than Qiu Jingming, but his expression was far from pleasant. Walking alongside Qiu Jingyue, he heard his fourth brother, who looked shocked, say:

 

“Second brother, did you see Father’s face?!”

 

Although Qiu Jingyue was two years younger than Qiu Jinghan, he looked like he was a decade younger, with a baby-face that hadn’t fully matured. Frowning, he said:

 

“Father’s face looks much younger!”

 

He tilted his head in confusion: “Could it be that the elixirs Father used before really have the effect of reversing aging?”

 

“All the nonsense those Daoist priests said… is it true?”

 

“How would I know.” Qiu Jinghan, holding a fan, shared a semblance of annoyance with Qiu Junyao:

 

“Perhaps Father secretly took some strange medicine behind our backs.”

 

He said: “Earlier, when the Imperial Observatory observed the celestial phenomena, they mentioned the Tianfu star twinkling, resonating with the Purple Micro star symbolizing the imperial star. Father was overjoyed and married Lady Yin. After that, he summoned the National Teacher, and the two had a lengthy secret discussion. Perhaps it was during that time they concocted a formula for rejuvenation and immortality.”

 

Finishing his words, Qiu Jinghan looked into the distance. Just as he was about to say something, a red-clothed “woman” appeared in the distance, none other than the mentioned Lady Yin.

 

“Mother?!”

 

Just as Qiu Jinghan was stuck mid-sentence, gazing in astonishment as Lady Yin approached, Qiu Jingyue, who was beside him, had already knelt down, considerately pulling Qiu Jinghan down with him:

 

“Bow in reverence to Mother.”

 

Qiu Jinghan also caught on, and as his gaze subtly lingered on Lady Yin’s exquisite face for a few seconds, he lowered his head gently:

 

“Bow in reverence to Mother.”

 

“… Rise.”

 

From this angle, Qiu Jinghan and Qiu Jingyue couldn’t see Lady Yin’s face clearly. They could only see the red phoenix embroidered on her golden-threaded imperial shoes peeking out from under her phoenix robe, concealing a bunch of vivid mimosa flowers. Although obscured, the captivating colors were indistinctly visible, prompting imaginations about what lay beneath.

 

Red is the most passionate and unrestrained color, especially when embroidered with mimosa flowers, it easily stirs a sense of desire. However, the conversation in their ears at this moment was as cold as icy snow, clear and melodious, unexpectedly shattering any hidden desires:

 

“I see you just came from the Hall of Diligence?”

 

Lady Yin didn’t bother waiting for them to respond or even look at the faces of the princes. Her mind was filled only with Qiu Junyao as she urgently asked:

 

“Tell me, how is the Emperor’s health?! Did he… wake up?!”

 

She said: “Answer me, did he wake up or not?!”

 

Qiu Jinghan and Qiu Jingyue: “……Huh??”