Chapter 145: The Memorial

The next day, Rong Juan brought the little milk bun to court, but Qin Bi was still preoccupied with that dream.

If the dream was real, was it a past life, or the future?

This fictional world also practiced cultivation, and the dream was also a world of cultivation. In the dream, it seemed only she had mastered immortal arts; others had not reached her realm, nor were they born with immortal bodies.

If the dream was true, Qin Bi's lips curled into a sneer. Now, that world would become like this cultivation world: no plants growing, rivers drying up, and spiritual energy exhausted.

Following her departure, it would gradually wither away completely.

Without her, the Emperor and the Third Imperial Prince would be powerless to save it.

Serves them right. If the dream was true, Qin Bi would never return for all eternity, and she would watch how they managed to restore spiritual energy to all things.

If this life was her reincarnation, Qin Bi thought of the dream and found it hard to let go. Perhaps it was just a dream; if it were true, once she recovered her immortal body, she would be truly formidable.

Dreaming is wonderful, so boundless and unconstrained.

It took Qin Bi several days to recover. Rong Juan noticed the change in her mood, so during court, he asked the Great Yan Emperor for leave and dumped the little milk bun in the court hall to go home and take care of Qin Bi.

Seeing this, the little milk bun followed a few steps.

The Great Yan Emperor leaned forward from the dragon throne and asked, "Imperial Nephew, you want to take leave too?"

Rong Yang: "......"

The little milk bun was bewildered. A flash of brilliance crossed the Prime Minister's eyes, and he signaled the Minister of War. They kept the child behind together—what for? He He Shizi Apparent had gone home, so they would assign the child homework.

What homework? Memorials.

It was easy to talk when the Heir Apparent was gone; they had caught the little one.

The Prime Minister scooped up the little milk bun. After court, the Prime Minister and the six Ministers did not leave; they followed the Great Yan Emperor in a swarm to the Imperial Study, where a stack of memorials was placed before the child.

"Imperial Nephew," the Great Yan Emperor said happily, "No rush, let's read the memorials slowly."

The little milk bun sat upright, swinging his little legs: "I don't know how to read memorials."

Even if he didn't know how, he couldn't just sit idle. The memorials were dumped on the child, and no one cared.

If he was hungry, they gave him pastries; if not, he just stared at the memorials. If he didn't finish his homework, that was easy to handle—the Great Yan Emperor sent Eunuch Fu to take the child back, and incidentally, to bring the stack of memorials along.

In the Rong Prince Manor, Rong Juan watched the child return, carrying a stack of memorials, and his face turned green.

"Rong Yang," Rong Juan said, sitting in his chair, "Don't you know I need to stay home to take care of your mother?"

"I know!" The little milk bun tilted his little head up: "They wouldn't let me leave the palace without taking the memorials."

Qin Bi was left speechless by the Great Yan Emperor's maneuver. And the Heir Apparent, too—the child wasn't even born yet, so even if he was anxious to raise a child, there was no need to be in such a hurry to take leave.

A god-like Great Yan Emperor must have god-like powerful ministers and heirs.

None of them were ordinary people! Qin Bi's eyes were truly opened.

"I don't need company," Qin Bi said to Rong Juan. "You should go to court. The memorials are ostensibly homework for Rong Yang, but he's so small, he can't even recognize all the characters. How could he understand them? They are official business for you, the Heir Apparent."

Rong Juan remained silent, sitting upright in his chair, his fingers tapping on the table.

Later, Qin Bi didn't know how Rong Juan negotiated with the child, but Rong Yang carried the stack of memorials out, took a carriage to the Yan Guogong Fu, and upon seeing He Yan, dumped all the memorials on him.

He Yan was startled at first, then looked down at the little milk bun and asked, "Why should I help you review memorials?"

The little milk bun said nothing, just called out in a milky voice: "Father."

He Yan stared at the child, said nothing, and kept the memorials. He Yan processed the memorials while the child wandered around the Guogong Fu. It was summer, and the garden of the Yan Guogong Fu was a riot of flowers.

Fubao came to the manor to play and acted cute in front of the Yan Guogong Lady, putting her in a very good mood. The maids and the young ladies-in-law also gathered around to join in the fun, praising Fubao for being adorable.

Rong Yang wobbled back. He Yan held his brush and asked, "Why didn't you go over?"

Rong Yang climbed onto the carved chair and lay on the table watching He Yan review the memorials: "I'm not going over."

At this moment, a servant brought back freshly made pastries. He Yan said, "As you wish. If I were you, I would walk over with a swagger. If you don't fight for what is yours, it will become someone else's."

Rong Yang stared at the pastries: "Are these for me to eat?"

He Yan gave a low "Mm," and continued writing. He paused, then added, "If you like any food, tell the servant and make a list, so you don't come here and find nothing palatable."

Rong Yang wouldn't come if there was nothing to do, and the child didn't look at the servant.

The servant was bewildered—what was this rhythm? Ever since the little milk bun brought a stack of memorials to find He Yan, the servant had been in a state of confusion, not knowing where things had gone wrong. Their Heir Apparent was actually reviewing memorials for someone else.

"Little Heir Apparent," the servant, who was quick-witted, shook off his confusion and hurried to find brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone: "What do you like to eat? Tell me, and I will write it down."

Rong Yang thought about it; he couldn't let his mouth suffer, so he told him, and the servant wrote it down earnestly.

Remembering the melon seeds prepared last time, the servant brought them up.

Rong Yang glanced at them but didn't touch them. He Yan asked, distracted: "You don't like them? I saw you brought melon seeds to court."

"I eat boiled melon seeds." Rong Yang picked up a melon seed to grind his teeth and said in a milky voice: "My little milk teeth can't bite roasted melon seeds."

He Yan was slightly stunned. He was not as good at raising children as Rong Juan. He then scoffed—he didn't even have children, how could he possibly know how to raise one? He Yan glanced at the servant, who took note to prepare boiled melon seeds next time.

The servant peeked at the child. Why was the Heir Apparent so attentive?

Looking closely, my goodness, the more he looked, the more the child resembled their Heir Apparent.

Thinking that this was Qin Bi's child, the servant's heart pounded.

"Little Heir Apparent," the servant stepped forward and said, "Shall I go to the kitchen and boil some melon seeds for you now?"

Rong Yang pinched a melon seed to grind his teeth and refused: "I'm going home in a while."

He Yan stopped his brush and raised an eyebrow: "You're not taking your memorials?"

"I wouldn't understand them if I took them back," Rong Yang said. "Give them to me when you're done."

He Yan said nothing more. The child was too young and wanted to go home after being out for a long time.

After a portion of the memorials were reviewed, the child left with them in his arms.

The little milk bun wobbled back, and Qin Bi didn't know what to say. This was great: Rong Juan was on leave at home, and Rong Yang had been entrusted with a heavy responsibility by the Great Yan Emperor. It didn't matter if the child couldn't understand them; someone else could.

The next day, Rong Juan did not go to court, and the child went to court by himself.

He handed up a stack of reviewed memorials. The Great Yan Emperor flipped through them, stared at the handwriting, and was stunned. The Prime Minister and the six Ministers took a look and exchanged silent glances.

What was the meaning of this? Why was the Yan Heir Apparent helping to review the memorials?

The Great Yan Emperor was only surprised for a moment and didn't care which of the two powerful heirs reviewed the memorials, as long as he wasn't bothered. After court, Eunuch Fu gave the child another stack of memorials.

Rong Yang was worried sick. When he got home, he told Qin Bi and Rong Juan, then took the memorials and went to the Yan Guogong Fu again. ===== CHAPTER 146 =====