Chapter 527: Chapter 527

I must say, Rong Heng was particularly clever about it, using the child to shift the burden of decision-making. It convinced Tangyuan.

Though he was of tender age, he had already exhibited precociousness beyond his peers. Thanks to his bright intelligence and being constantly nourished by Spiritual Energy, Rong Yue had an aura about him that was more potent than that of ordinary children. So, having him make the decision was perhaps just a temporary fix in Rong Heng’s eyes, but in the heart of a mother, it meant treating him as a normally communicative child, not some clueless little brat.

But Rong Heng had yet to discover that his child had been so enriched by the Space Spiritual Energy that he’d become a little genius. He just saw it as an excuse. Yet precisely because of this deflection, there was the birth of the Eternal Emperor to follow.

No matter how obstinate Tangyuan was, she couldn’t stop Rong Heng from wanting to make her his queen. From the moment she took residence in Changchun Palace, the whole Forbidden City was thrown into disarray. That night, the couple, finally reunited after a long separation, was passionately aflame, unaware that the other women in the various palaces were sighing until dawn.

Originally, Rong Heng’s entrance into the harem was to solidify court order, leading to his obligatory interactions. Unexpectedly, he proved to be quite virile, siring five sons and three daughters after ascending to the throne.

However, a glance at the records would tell you that he had the shortest tenure in the harem in the history of Nanling Country and was also the most diligent Emperor.

Thus, although the matter of heirs was taken care of, the queen’s position was still vacant, which was never ideal. With no other choice, he had to resort to this tactic, deceiving her into returning home to stop the idle chatter of the world.

Tangyuan was not unaware that this might be a trap, yet she missed him too, so, without a second thought, she leaped into it.

That night, the couple held their son as they slept, only for Rong Heng to be woken up by the child’s kicks early the next morning before dawn had even broken.

"Who are you, and why are you sleeping in our bed?" Upon waking up, the little fellow, with those bright, wise eyes, scrutinized him from head to toe.

Small in years, but with a strong presence, clear voice, and a rhythmic speech, this filled Rong Heng with even more affection.

"I’m your dad. Your mom took you out to play for a few years and left me all alone at home. If it weren’t for me saying I was sick, that heartless woman wouldn’t even think of coming back!"

"You’re lying. I’ve never seen my dad since I was born. I’ve asked mom, and she said she’s also my dad, so I don’t have a dad. Stop trying to fool me."

"Hey, you little rascal. Your mom has been both dad and mom looking after you, don’t you see? Like I said, your mom took you out to play and not me. I’ve been looking for you guys for years, and now that you’re finally home, isn’t it about time you recognized me as your dad?"

Seeing that the youngster was still resistant to acknowledgment, Rong Heng had no choice but to hold him in front of a copper mirror, pointing to their somewhat similar reflections, and gave a small lecture.

"Look at the two people in there. Don’t they resemble each other?"

Ayue glanced at the two people in the mirror, then cocked his head to examine the man holding him. There seemed to be a slight resemblance, but he needed his mom to confirm it herself before he would accept this man as his dad.

"Your mom was exhausted last night; let’s let her sleep a bit longer."

"Why would my mom be so tired, what did you make her do?"

"Your mom has been traveling, could she not be tired?"

"You’re talking nonsense, we came by horse carriage, and I’m not tired at all."

Rong Heng pinched the bridge of his nose, "But you’ve been on the road for many days, haven’t you? Now that you’re home, don’t you want to see what your home looks like?"

Indeed, once he mentioned this, the little guy thought of the people who had played with him yesterday, and immediately became interested: "Okay, okay, will you take me?"

As a result, Rong Heng made a surprising decision. He let the little guy ride on his neck, and in front of the civil and military officials, he sat on the Dragon Throne. Although the little one felt nervous inside, it was his first time seeing so many people looking at him, his mental fortitude was quite strong, and he didn’t let on that he was scared.

Rong Heng placed him at his side, "Dad needs to work now. You can look around and play by yourself. As long as you don’t make a noise and don’t disturb others, it’s all good, okay?"

He nodded obediently and slid right off the Dragon Throne, casually strolling among the civil and military officials.

The eunuchs and palace maids didn’t dare to stop him, allowing him to go. Although he didn’t make a sound, he craned his neck, looking here and there.

He wasn’t making noise or bothering anyone, but the officials, due to the sudden appearance of the child, were incredibly curious. Wherever he went, they would bow their heads and scrutinize him closely. This scrutiny was not without consequence, as they were taken aback, realizing at a glance that this child was the Emperor’s offspring.

Rong Heng’s intention was also quite simple, which was to let them know that this was the son borne by the woman he loved most. The events of yesterday had already been the talk of the town. This morning, he gave them such explosive news that they would need to digest it well.

Rong Heng was also being funny, not mentioning the matter of appointing the queen at all, letting them guess. However, after a morning court session, Ayue had already become familiar with Rong Heng.

Father and son went to the court session together, left together, and even had breakfast together. After breakfast, when he wanted to see the courtiers, he ordered someone to take him back to Changchun Palace.

On the way, he encountered the harem women who had hurried over upon hearing the news. This included several of Rong Heng’s sons, the eldest being six years old, and the youngest just a few months old. Rong Yue’s age should place him third in line. The eldest was six, the second, five, then two princesses at five and four respectively. Rong Yue, at three years old, was third among the princes but was Rong Heng’s fifth child. Below him were two two-year-old sons, a seven-month-old son, and a four-month-old daughter, totaling nine children, which was quite a productive household.

Perhaps because they had received the news, these Concubines had brought their own children and were waiting early on the road he must take back to Changchun Palace.

But when they saw the Emperor’s two guards, Qingfeng and Mingyue, personally escorting Rong Yue back to Changchun Palace, the smile on their lips froze.

They originally wanted to use their children to get close to this child, but upon seeing Qingfeng Mingyue, they already knew they had lost, and lost thoroughly at that.

On the contrary, Rong Yue himself, upon seeing so many children of his age playing chase in the small garden ahead, got excited at once.

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"Young Master (not yet officially titled, can’t be ranked), the lady is waiting for you to return home."

"It’s okay, you go back and tell my mom that I’m here playing with my friends. If she gets bored, she can come out and chat with these aunts to kill time too!"

Seeing that he really wanted to play, Qingfeng Mingyue hesitated for a moment but then agreed. One stayed to look after him while the other went to find Tangyuan for reinforcement.