Standing beside Shen Xihe, Xiao Junshu grinned at Xiao Huayong with curved eyes, eagerly waiting for Xiao Huayong to expose him.
That way, he could further make his mother realize that this father of his simply disliked him!
Unfortunately, Xiao Junshu’s petty provocation was far beneath Xiao Huayong’s notice. Xiao Huayong took a brocade pouch from his waist and handed it to Xiao Junshu: “For eight years, I have failed in my duties as a father, and I am ashamed. This is a gift I prepared for you, Jin Yuer. It’s eight years late—please don’t disdain it.”
The smile on Xiao Junshu’s lips froze.
To say that Xiao Huayong had lost all standing in his heart was absolutely impossible.
He was merely throwing a tantrum.
The return of the father he had long yearned for had filled him with anticipation, tossing and turning at night, rehearsing in his mind countless times how to be obedient and proper when they met, hoping to win his father’s affection at first sight, just as he had with his mother.
But as time passed, these expectations gradually faded.
He grew uneasy, plagued by self-doubt. In the past, he could have turned to his mother at once, pouring out his heart and waiting for her gentle reassurance.
Now, he had lost even his mother.
How could he not act out?
At one point, he harbored a spiteful thought: he would rather his father truly didn’t care for him, didn’t like him.
That way, he could righteously drive him away!
He never expected Xiao Huayong to bend down, meeting him at eye level, gazing at him with earnestness and paternal affection.
This was the kind of gaze he had always envied—whenever he saw his uncle looking at his cousins, or Minister Cui watching Cui Zhu and Bu Zhan, he had felt an overwhelming sense of longing.
Now, he had it too, but he felt unbearably ashamed. He didn’t even know how to face this father of his, and thinking of how he had just framed him made him even more mortified.
Yet, his heart was not only filled with regret but also with an overwhelming sense of grievance.
He snatched the brocade pouch Xiao Huayong offered and dashed away.
“Jin Yuer…”
“Let him have a moment to himself.” Xiao Huayong stopped Shen Xihe.
He understood that, at this moment, Xiao Junshu did not want to see anyone.
“What’s wrong with him…?” Shen Xihe frowned, looking at Xiao Huayong.
Naturally, Xiao Huayong wouldn’t tell Shen Xihe that Xiao Junshu had tried to frame him and was now feeling guilty about his actions, too ashamed to face him.
“After all, I haven’t been by his side for eight years. Asking him to accept me immediately is truly asking too much of him.”
“Is that really it?” Shen Xihe was skeptical.
“It is indeed.” Xiao Huayong nodded firmly. “Leave it to me. By tomorrow at the latest, I will make sure he accepts me.”
“How do you plan to do that?” No one understood Xiao Junshu better than she did. He was stubborn to the core, and once he disliked someone, it was incredibly difficult to change his mind.
“Trust me.” Xiao Huayong gave Shen Xihe a calm smile. “I’m going out of the palace to meet some old acquaintances.”
Shen Xihe thought he was simply going to see Cui Jinbai, Zhao Zhengtao, and the others.
Little did she know that, upon leaving the palace, he headed straight for the Bu residence.
After Cui Jinbai and Bu Shulin married, they had moved here, disregarding what the Cui family or others might think.
When Cui Jinbai saw Xiao Huayong, he froze in place. Even the ever-composed Cui Jinbai had tears welling in his eyes for a moment.
“Has it been so many years that you no longer recognize me?” Xiao Huayong said casually.
“Your High—” Cui Jinbai snapped back to reality, then realized the address was inappropriate and corrected himself, “Master.”
Xiao Huayong reached out to support Cui Jinbai’s arm. “You’ve worked hard all these years.”He left in haste, with the situation still unclear. Whether it was Shen Xihe or his old subordinates, they all faced a tough battle ahead.
"You flatter me, Your Majesty," Cui Jinbai said, his voice choked with emotion.
"I know that after Jinyu ascended the throne, you guarded the Blackwater Tribe with every ounce of your strength. The peace we now enjoy in the northeast is largely thanks to you." Xiao Huayong patted Cui Jinbai's shoulder again and continued before the latter could respond modestly, "Although the Blackwater Tribe is stable, the balance among the three factions could easily be disrupted. I want to eliminate this threat once and for all. After much thought, I concluded that you are the only one with a deep understanding of the Blackwater Tribe. Entrusting such a responsibility to anyone else would leave me uneasy."
Cui Jinbai did not overthink it. His innate loyalty to the sovereign made him respond immediately, "I will request the assignment tomorrow."
A deeper smile appeared at the corners of Xiao Huayong's eyes. "By the way, although the southern Shu region is peaceful, the prolonged absence of the feudal lord from his seat of power may invite trouble. Your second son is still young. Perhaps it would be best for your wife to accompany him back home, so he has someone to look after him."
Cui Jinbai: !!!
If someone as sharp as him failed to grasp that his lord had come to hold him accountable, then all his years serving Xiao Huayong would have been in vain.
He hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, if I have committed any offense, please make it clear to me."
Let him at least understand the reason for his punishment.
"Lack of discipline in a child reflects the father's failure," Xiao Huayong left Cui Jinbai with these six words before walking away calmly, his departure as abrupt as his arrival.
Cui Jinbai gritted his teeth in frustration.
On his way to Xiao Junshu's bedchamber, Xiao Huayong had already learned the details of how the young emperor had been injured.
Xiao Junshu had inflicted the wound upon himself, but the idea had certainly not been his own. If he were capable of devising such a self-sacrificing scheme, he would have employed it much earlier.
Xiao Huayong had been away from the palace for only half an hour. Excluding the time spent traveling, he had lingered outside for merely a moment. Shen Xihe looked at him and asked, "Where did you go?"
"I went to see Minister Cui."
"Did you not take the time to catch up?"
Xiao Huayong wrapped an arm around Shen Xihe. "I went to hold him accountable."
"Oh?"
"The injury on Jinyu's hand was self-inflicted. The one who suggested the idea was most likely Cui Zhu, who accompanied him during martial arts training today." Xiao Huayong's tone was firm.
He had also heard some details about the temperaments of these two brothers from Tianyuan.
"I know," Shen Xihe replied. At first, she hadn't given it much thought, but after Xiao Huayong left, she pondered it quietly and understood. "They are just children, after all. They are as close to Jinyu as brothers. I know you will say that Jinyu is the emperor—how can a subject place the emperor in danger? The emperor's body is of utmost importance. If it were anyone else, even a death sentence would not be excessive."
Xiao Huayong remained silent.
Sighing, Shen Xihe took his hand. "Huayong, you were born into the imperial family and have been taught the principles of rulership since childhood. It is only natural for you to think this way. But I do not want Jinyu to become isolated. Making a big issue of this matter today may indeed make the Cui Zhu brothers understand the emperor's dignity and deeply recognize the distinction between ruler and subject.
However, in the future, even if their loyalty remains unwavering, they will no longer treat Jinyu with the same unreserved sincerity as they do now.
His elder brother, Duke Xie, Prince Xin, and even our gradually maturing fourteenth brother have all started to treat Jinyu with increasing formality. Jinyu has been feeling down about this for a long time. Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer people around him who speak to him without carefully weighing their words."
Seeing how deeply Shen Xihe cared for Xiao Junshu and recalling the boy's awkwardness around him and Shen Xihe, Xiao Huayong felt a twinge of envy.Throughout the dynasties, how many rulers enjoyed such a peaceful and joyful childhood?
Not to mention emperors, even among the sons of the imperial family, none had a mother like Xiao Junshu, who sheltered him under her wing.
"How could I shatter Youyou's loving heart as a mother?" Xiao Huayong quickly assured.
Shen Xihe remained skeptical but did not press further.
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