Chapter 1534: The Regent Prince Dotes on Me Too Much, What Should I Do? 03

Your Majesty, Prince, the Commandery Prince seeks an audience.

Little cousin has come! Quickly let him in. Jin Chen had just been glumly saying he wanted to drink some hot soup, but now he didn't insist, hurriedly letting Mu Zhongzheng come in.

They're still on good terms as brothers!

Jin Chen again turned his gaze, silently looking at Xie Zhiwei, "Little Imperial Uncle, you must be busy, right?"

The long fingers that had been brewing tea withdrew, and the atmosphere subtly changed again.

Xie Zhiwei took a handkerchief to wipe away the water stain, gazed at Jin Chen with an inscrutable expression, "Your Majesty, are you trying to drive me away?"

"I haven't." Jin Chen let out a faint sigh, a hint of red welling up in his eyes, "I just want to have a word with my little cousin."

He tugged at Xie Zhiwei's sleeve, "Little Imperial Uncle... I beg you."

Xie Zhiwei made no move, merely smiling at Jin Chen as before, yet his thoughts were inscrutable.

Time passed second by second; without Xie Zhiwei's consent, the guards dared not let Mu Zhongzheng enter, even though Jin Chen had personally permitted it.

Jin Chen also lifted his gaze back, the red in his eyes deepening, about to spill tears, then suddenly pulled his hand back.

"Little Imperial Uncle, since you're not at ease with me meeting others, let my cousin go back; I'm tired, I want to sleep."

"Fine, I'll sleep! No one is to see me!"

Jin Chen gritted his teeth in secret, rolled over and burrowed into the bedding.

Xie Zhiwei lowered his eyes to look at the sleeve Jin Chen had just pulled, smoothed it with his hand; the little emperor is guileless, he hadn't figured anything out earlier, perhaps he was just overthinking.

"Your Majesty, you're overthinking. Come, let the Commandery Prince in."

"Yes." The guard immediately went to report.

Xie Zhiwei bent at the waist, stood by the bedside, lightly hooked his fingers into the bedding, and spoke softly: "Your Majesty, I will take my leave now."

Jin Chen inadvertently poked his head out, revealing damp brows and eyes.

"Little Imperial Uncle, you weren't angry just now, were you?"

"No." Xie Zhiwei flicked his finger to wipe away the moisture at the youth's eye corners, his heart stirred, and he curled his fingers back into his sleeve.

Jin Chen watched Xie Zhiwei leave, then sat up with a spring, using the heavy bedding as a cloak, only his head exposed.

"Cousin! Long time no see!" He looked delighted at Mu Zhongzheng approaching with a food box, yet inwardly he sneered.

To say that Mu Zhongzheng's means of winning over the original self were also quite cheap, relying on the original self having been strictly supervised since childhood, he merely used those novelty toys that street folk in the capital used to amuse children, plus the banner of freedom and escaping the birdcage, and could win over the original self.

"I just heard that Your Majesty was unwell; I was startled, but I'm glad you're fine." Mu Zhongzheng put on the act of a caring older brother, opening the food box and placing it on the small table, "Your Majesty, hurry up and try this; a new snack shop opened in the south of the city, these date-paste cakes sell well, I've often been thinking of letting Your Majesty taste them."

Jin Chen propped his chin and leaned in to take a look; having just drunk the nourishing soup, he really couldn't eat more, idly picking up a piece to wipe his mouth, he seemingly offhandedly remarked, "Cousin, do you know the Minister of Works' eldest daughter, Chu Qingqing?"

The matter of selecting concubines for Jin Chen has already spread throughout the capital; Mu Zhongzheng came today to gather information, never expecting the little emperor to bring it up himself, he immediately exclaimed in surprise, "We've met a few times before; could it be that Your Majesty has taken a liking to Miss Chu?"

"No, what's the use of what I fancy?" Jin Chen tasted the strange flavor, hastily put the date-paste cake back, and wiped away the crumbs on his fingers.

"Hmm… this date-paste cake tastes a bit odd; cousin, you'd better take it away."

Mu Zhongzheng frowned, glanced at the date-paste cake he had put back, and silently thought it strange.

There's nothing else in the date-paste cake; it's just that they feared the Regent Prince would discover the little emperor eating something unclean.

After all, they feared being framed; Mu Zhongzheng himself also took a piece to taste, asking, "Your Majesty, what do you find strange about it?"

"It's just hard to eat." Jin Chen drank tea to rinse his mouth, speaking solemnly.

Mu Zhongzheng: "……"

Inside the Regent Prince's resting tent, Han Zhou, who should have been waiting by the carriage for Mu Zhongzheng, appeared silently and knelt to pay respects.

"Master."

"What movements has Mu Zhongzheng made recently?"

Xie Zhiwei asked in a light tone, lowering his eyes to play with the jade beads in his hand, thinking he would later take a few to relieve the little emperor's boredom.

"Reporting to my lord, the Commandery Prince has been in close contact with officials of the Imperial Observatory recently, meeting three of them within the past month." Han Zhou dared not conceal anything.

Imperial Observatory.

Xie Zhiwei stopped fiddling with the jade beads; two beads struck together with a clear sound, and Han Zhou lowered his head even further.

"He is quite clever."

To say that Xie Zhiwei becoming a powerful minister, what is most displeasing is that the Imperial Observatory, which originally ought to have followed the nation's fate to support Jin Chen, considers him to be going against the heavenly way.

It's just unknown… whether the little emperor is aware of Mu Zhongzheng's close ties with the Imperial Observatory.

"Keep watching; report any news immediately."

"Yes."

Xie Zhiwei's personal guard De Quan lifted the curtain and entered the tent, "Prince, it seems Your Majesty and the Commandery Prince have started arguing."

When Xie Zhiwei arrived, the guards were cleaning up pastry crumbs mixed with shattered porcelain shards, and the little emperor stood on the bed, fuming and throwing a tantrum.

He had rarely, if ever, seen the little emperor this angry; it was actually rather interesting.

"Your Majesty, what makes you so angry?" Xie Zhiwei ignored the kneeling Mu Zhongzheng, walked straight to the bed, and said, "If something offending has struck you, I shall have it put to death."

"Little Imperial Uncle…"

Jin Chen seemed to have found a backer, not even bothering to put on shoes and socks, hastily scrambled out of bed and hid behind Xie Zhiwei, tattling away.

"Cousin brought me date-paste cake from outside the palace; I don't like eating it, he said… said it was out of goodwill, but after I ate just half a piece I felt unwell."

Upon hearing this, De Quan, who was guarding outside the tent, hurriedly summoned the accompanying Physician Liu.

Xie Zhiwei gave Mu Zhongzheng, who was kneeling on the ground, a cold glance, "And then?"

"Then… cousin wouldn't let me speak recklessly, and said that bringing you here would be bad." Jin Chen wiped at nonexistent tears, looking utterly aggrieved.

Mu Zhongzheng: "……" What happened to the sworn brotherhood, jointly dealing with the Regent Prince? Today this little emperor must have taken some wrong medicine, actually saying everything to this lackey official!

Xie Zhiwei just stood there before Jin Chen, lowering his eyes to look at the person kneeling on the ground; the chill in his phoenix eyes was like a crouching beast.

"This prince recalls that the Commandery Prince became a fifth-rank martial artist last year."

Mu Zhongzheng clenched his teeth in secret; no matter what, now is not the time to break ties, so he respectfully replied, "Yes, thank you, Regent Prince, for remembering."

He was coping, and also looked toward Jin Chen pleadingly; the meaning in his eyes went without saying.

Jin Chen then embraced Xie Zhiwei's arm, first sighing that he had become much less sensitive, and then said: "Little royal uncle, your cousin perhaps did not mean it; you'd better not blame him."

All the scheming and infighting are yours; I haven't done anything wrong.

Jin Chen met Xie Zhiwei's gaze, concealed the teasing light in his eyes, and smiled in a way that looked fragile and exploitable.