Volume One, Chapter 12: The Bodyguard Beside This Child Has a Sinister Aura

Soon, the sounds of Uncle Yu and his men clearing away the corpses broke the brief, eerie silence.

Lin Mingzhu and the others instinctively retreated a step, looking at Little Kaixin as if they had seen a ghost.

Shu Zijun snapped out of his stupor, rushed to Little Kaixin in two strides, knelt on the ground, and grabbed her, checking her from head to toe.

Little Kaixin gave him a sweet smile. "Daddy, don't worry, I'm not hurt. I'm super tough!"

Shu Zijun hugged her tightly and burst into tears. It was a loud, heart-wrenching wail.

Little Kaixin was somewhat bewildered by his crying. Trying to mimic how her grandmother comforted her, she patted his back with her small hand, but her arms were too short, forcing her to stand on tiptoe. Before long, she grew tired.

However, Shu Zijun was in the middle of a good cry and showed no intention of stopping.

Little Kaixin looked toward the others in the room for help. She was still just a baby; she had no idea how to coax a heartbroken adult!

The others were still shaken by the ordeal. They wanted to cry themselves; they were in no mood to comfort Shu Zijun. Not joining him in a collective sob was the last shred of their dignity.

After crying for a long time, Shu Zijun finally calmed down. He had never seen such a bloody scene or experienced such a harrowing event in his life. It had scared him to death!

Little Kaixin looked at his reddened eyes and said with great certainty, "Daddy, I know, you really are my own daddy."

"Why?" Shu Zijun asked, his voice raspy, wondering why she had suddenly said that.

Little Kaixin held out her small hand and began counting on her fingers. "I look just as good as you, I like to eat yummy things just like you, and most importantly, I'm just as good at crying as you are."

Looking at the three chubby little fingers held out before him, Shu Zijun burst into laughter.

"No need to doubt it, you are my own dear daughter."

"Daddy—" Little Kaixin happily threw herself into his arms. "My own daddy!"

"Yes—"

After Uncle Yu interrogated the three captives, the truth came out. The situation on the border battlefield was going exceptionally well, which had made Northern Meng harbor malicious intentions. However, General Shu ran his army with strict discipline, and their combat effectiveness was superior to that of Northern Meng.

Fearing a backlash, the enemy had set their sights on the capital. They knew that the Dayu Empire was in turmoil following the accession of the new emperor. They believed that if something were to happen to the Emperor now, the rear of the Dayu Empire would fall into chaos.

They knew they couldn't succeed relying on the Shu family army alone. They had sent their most formidable experts to sneak into the palace to assassinate the Emperor by posing as the spendthrift friends of Shu Zijun.

Having received news that morning that Little Kaixin’s brother had been taken into the palace by the Emperor, they had pivoted to target her, planning to take her hostage so that Shu Zijun would be forced to use the excuse of visiting her brother to sneak them into the palace.

Little did they know that these top-tier experts would all fall at the very first step.

Watching the three Northern Meng spies being dragged away like dead dogs by Uncle Yu, Zhou Chong’s stepmother nudged Lin Mingzhu with her elbow. "Tell me, do you really have to have Shu Zijun? The guards around this little girl are a bit uncanny and hard to deal with. Can't you pick someone else?"

In truth, it wasn't just the guards who were uncanny; the little girl herself was even more so.

Lin Mingzhu stared stiffly at Uncle Yu’s retreating figure. After a long while, she made up her mind. "Worst case, once I marry into the General's mansion, I’ll treat that little girl as my own daughter."

Zhou Chong’s stepmother gave her a thumbs-up. "Miss Lin, you are broad-minded. Let’s think of other ways then."

Song Xiang'er, meanwhile, kept her eyes fixed on Little Kaixin, her brows slightly furrowed.

Elsewhere, Little Ping'an, who had been taken away by the Emperor, followed him with longing eyes. Feng Qingyan, unable to bear the boy's affectionate gaze, found himself, as if by some strange impulse, bringing him into the Golden Throne Hall for the morning court session.

He even sat the boy on his lap while listening to the civil and military officials arguing incessantly below.

Song Zheng, the Minister of Revenue, started off as usual by crying poverty: "Your Majesty, the floods in the south, the drought in the northwest, the strained situation at the borders... money is needed everywhere. But the national treasury is empty, and expenditures exceed income; we truly cannot come up with so much silver."

Xie Yun, the Minister of Works, immediately followed up: "Your Majesty, your humble servant believes that the South is the country's largest granary and the flooding must be resolved first. Otherwise, the grain harvest will be affected, and I fear we will see starving people everywhere."

Lin Gengqin, the Minister of War, immediately stepped forward to object: "Your Majesty, I believe that no matter whose funds are cut, we cannot cut the rations for the soldiers at the border. If not for them fighting bloody battles to guard the gates of our nation, how could we have the peace we enjoy today? General Shu has submitted several memorials asking Your Majesty to transport supplies as soon as possible. The soldiers are already going hungry; how can they have the strength to face the fierce cavalry of the desert?"

Kou Hongya, the Minister of Rites, looked distressed and stood up to offer a different opinion: "Your Majesty, I believe the people of the Northwest are fierce and robust, and since they border Northern Meng, if we leave them unattended, they may become our greatest disaster. Therefore, disaster relief should be prioritized for the Northwest."

"..."

Little Ping'an grew impatient. He covered his mouth with his small hand and yawned openly.

Because they had to intercept the officials before the morning court, he and his sister had woken up a bit too early. Hearing their repetitive and sleep-inducing words now, he was truly tired.

The Emperor was also feeling extremely irritated. Hearing Little Ping'an's yawn, he immediately turned to the eunuch beside him. "Xiao Fuzi, take Ping'an to my bedchamber to rest."

Little Ping'an immediately perked up, forced his eyes open, and tugged at the Emperor’s sleeve, stubbornly insisting, "Daddy, I'm not sleepy. I want to stay with Daddy."

"Your Majesty, even if you dote on this child of unknown origin, you should not be so reckless. This court is a solemn place; it is no place for a child who hasn't even grown his hair out," Prime Minister Li Hao immediately stepped forward to criticize the Emperor.

Little Ping'an was not happy to hear this. He pulled a long face, glared severely at the Prime Minister, and curled his lips coldly. When he spoke, his crisp, childlike voice pierced straight to the heart: "Perhaps the court of our ancestors was a solemn place, but today, you lords have turned it into a laughingstock!"

"I’ve only been listening for a morning, and I’ve already discovered that under your leadership, Prime Minister, the civil and military officials have absolutely no ability to solve problems. You only know how to bicker like old women gossiping in a vegetable market, arguing over useless nonsense."

"I truly admire Daddy. Sitting here every day, watching your incompetent rage, and having to endure it without slamming the table—what incredible self-restraint he must have."