Emperor Jingxuan looked down to meet a pair of sleep-swollen eyes, now widened as much as possible to stare at him. His lips twitched slightly. "You're awake, kid?"
Sui nodded, the plump flesh under his chin bunching up into a double chin. He opened his mouth and croaked, "Thirsty..."
Emperor Jingxuan helped him sit up, fed him half a cup of water, then tucked him back tightly into the blankets.
Sui wriggled like a worm for a moment before scrunching his chubby face in worry. "Your Majesty, I feel so cold... Am I dying?"
He’d once heard Pei Qian say that when people die, they turn icy cold, then stiff as a board, and eventually become a jiangshi...
He didn’t really believe it, but what if?
He felt terribly ill, his whole body aching miserably.
Emperor Jingxuan gave him a flat look. "Nonsense. Keep talking like that, and I’ll tell your mother to discipline you."
Sui, cocooned in the blankets with only his face peeking out, mumbled, "Mother wouldn’t discipline me. She’d just feel sorry for me."
Unlike His Majesty, who loved to scare him.
Emperor Jingxuan narrowed his eyes, sensing the kid’s unspoken cheek.
"By the way, Your Majesty, where’s my mother?"
Sui twisted his head left and right but saw no sign of her.
Emperor Jingxuan loosened the blankets slightly. "She stayed with you all day and went to rest. You feel cold because I just applied medicine on you."
A whole bottle of anti-itch ointment, laced with mint—of course it felt cold.
But then again, if it weren’t cold, would it even work?
As the blankets loosened, cool air seeped in. Sui shivered and immediately bundled himself back up, muttering, "Feels like I’m not wearing any clothes."
"..."
Emperor Jingxuan had come to realize that when this kid was sick, he turned into a chatterbox.
He pressed a firm hand on the boy’s shoulder, raising a warning brow. "Stop squirming. If you scratch and scar, you’ll turn into an ugly little monster."
Sui wasn’t fazed. He squirmed pitifully. "But it itches so much, like ants are biting me all over."
Emperor Jingxuan: "Endure it."
Despite his words, he reached out and gently rubbed the itchy spots.
The child’s frame was small and plump, his flesh soft as dough—so malleable it almost felt like his bones might snap under the slightest pressure.
"Your Majesty, don’t poke my ticklish spots..."
Sui’s eyes brimmed with accusation.
Emperor Jingxuan: "So troublesome."
Jiang Fusheng peeked inside and marveled.
He’d never seen His Majesty show such patience with a child—not even with the Crown Prince or the Third Prince.
After a while, the itching subsided. Sui lifted his face earnestly. "Your Majesty, thank you."
Emperor Jingxuan massaged his sore wrist and shot him a cool glance. "Get well soon. That’ll be thanks enough."
Sui nodded eagerly. "Earlier, you said you’d give me a horse when I recover—was that true?"
He’d heard it clearly: His Majesty had promised a horse and even riding lessons.
After their last archery session, Sui’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Emperor Jingxuan: "Do I look like a liar to you?"
"Then... can I have a chestnut-colored pony?"
Emperor Jingxuan’s lips curled in a cold smirk.
Not even recovered yet, and already making demands.
"Why chestnut?"
Sui: "Because back home, I had a black horse I was really close to—but it’s all grown up now! I raised it myself!"
The implication was clear: since he already had a black one, he needed a chestnut one next.
He launched into an excited tale about his adventures with Little Black.
Upon learning the horse had been a gift from Lu Yuanduo, Emperor Jingxuan’s mood soured. "No chestnut. Only black. Take it or leave it."
Sui sighed. "Fine, then."
Black would do.
Irked by the kid’s resigned tone, Emperor Jingxuan slapped a hand over his eyes and said gruffly, "Children who sigh don’t grow tall. Sleep."
Once the boy was asleep, he could finally go see his wife.
Sui obediently shut his eyes but kept talking. "Your Majesty, when are you leaving?"
Emperor Jingxuan: "When you fall asleep."
Sui fell silent, pressing his lips together as he pretended to sleep.
About the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, seeing the boy’s peaceful expression, Emperor Jingxuan prepared to leave.
"Your Majesty, are you going now?"
The clear voice piped up again. Emperor Jingxuan’s expression darkened. "Quiet. Not another word."
"Okay."
This time, Sui truly slept.
Once his breathing steadied into deep, even rhythms, Emperor Jingxuan finally stood to leave.
At the door, he instructed the servants, "Watch over the young master. Report immediately if anything seems amiss."
The attendants nodded and slipped inside to keep vigil.
As he walked down the corridor, Emperor Jingxuan suddenly halted. "Jiang Fusheng."
Jiang Fusheng startled. "Your servant is here!"
Emperor Jingxuan gazed into the distance. "What have the Shadow Guards uncovered?"
Jiang Fusheng: "Your Majesty, after the Third Young Master of the Lu family passed away five years ago, his wet nurse returned to her hometown. Shadow Guard Six suspects she may know more, so he sent word yesterday that he’s already set out to find her."
Thinking of the uncanny resemblance between Young Master Sui and His Majesty, Jiang Fusheng swallowed hard, his mind reeling.
Surely not...
If this were true, the heavens themselves might quake.
Emperor Jingxuan’s expression darkened.
Birth date, features, an allergy to peanuts—could the world really hold such coincidences?
In his youth, Emperor Jingxuan had once broken out in rashes from eating peanuts—though it had only happened once, and very few knew of it. Even Jiang Fusheng was unaware.
As he grew older and his constitution strengthened, the reaction never recurred.
Thus, he’d never banned peanut-filled foods from the palace.
Otherwise, even if such dishes existed, peanuts would have long been replaced and stricken from the "five nuts" category.
But now, perhaps it was time to remove them—since the boy couldn’t tolerate them.
By the time he stepped into the Purple Dawn Hall, his expression had smoothed over, revealing nothing.
Yun Wan had just finished bathing and now sat quietly on the edge of the bed.
Seeing her, he approached. "You’re still awake, my lady?"
Yun Wan nodded. "Your Majesty, how is Sui?"
Emperor Jingxuan: "He woke once to drink water and went back to sleep."
Relieved, Yun Wan rose to help him remove his belt and outer robe.
Suddenly, he remarked, "I’ve heard that some children inherit their allergies from their parents. But since you’ve never avoided peanuts, perhaps the boy takes after his father?"
Yun Wan’s hands stilled. "Perhaps. I never thought much about it—just assumed Sui was unique."
She tilted her head curiously. "How does Your Majesty know so much about this?"
Emperor Jingxuan: "I once met someone with a similar condition and grew curious, so I looked into it."
Yun Wan seemed lost in thought.
Could Sui have inherited it from him?
But that didn’t make sense—if Emperor Jingxuan were allergic, why would peanuts still be served in the palace?
A faint smile tugged at Emperor Jingxuan’s lips.
What exactly was his lady pondering now?
