Chapter 60: The Crown Prince, Ex-Husband of the Transmigrated Woman (8)

Not only Xie Shen, but even the court ministers were startled by His Majesty’s actions.

“Your Majesty, this… is inappropriate.”

One of the ministers cautiously spoke up, but Xie Hui first lowered his head to tidy up his son’s clothes before smiling and replying,

“My son is the Crown Prince. What’s the harm in letting him sit here a little earlier? I think he looks rather tired standing.”

After all, morning court sessions lasted at least an hour and a half. Even the ministers found it exhausting to stand for so long, let alone Xie Shen, who had just turned four.

“Father Emperor, your son is not tired.”

Xie Shen felt uneasy and shifted his bottom, intending to get down.

When he had been standing beside his father earlier, he could only see His Majesty, just like the ministers did.

But now that he was sitting on the Dragon Throne, looking down at the sea of ministers below, he suddenly felt a bit flustered.

“Sit, even if you’re not tired.”

Since Xie Hui insisted a second time, Xie Shen did not go against his father’s wishes. He sat up properly, hoping to prove with his actions that he truly wasn’t tired.

Unfortunately, he didn’t last long.

While Xie Hui was discussing disaster relief with a minister, he suddenly felt a weight against his side. Turning his head, he saw Xie Shen leaning against him.

Suppressing a chuckle with a light cough, Xie Hui maintained a serious expression and continued discussing matters with the minister.

Sitting casually was indeed restful, but sitting so properly, as this little one had been doing, could be quite tiring.

The original owner of this body had governed the empire well, but natural disasters had been relentless. Two years ago, there was a severe drought, and last year, there was a devastating flood. Managing disaster relief had consumed much of his energy.

Seeing the little one beside him looking utterly confused by the discussion, Xie Hui thought that perhaps when the child was older, he could take him to see things firsthand.

Hearing about it a thousand times could never compare to witnessing it once.

As soon as the New Year celebrations passed, officials began preparing for the Emperor’s ceremonial plowing of the fields. From the original owner’s memories, Xie Hui learned that this event was mostly symbolic and rather tedious.

Xie Shen, however, was quite excited. He had the maids prepare many new outfits and would ask Xie Hui twice every day which outfit would look best on him for the occasion.

Watching this scene from the system space, the original owner curled his lips in disdain and remarked,

“As a man, he shouldn’t be obsessing over such trivial matters every day. He should be focusing on state affairs instead.”

“Hey, hey, have him bring over the blue one for me to see. I think the blue one looks best.”

Xie Hui placed the blue robe in front of Xie Shen and watched as the little one hugged it with joy, his eyes squinting happily.

“Father Emperor has excellent taste! This is my favorite one too!”

The original owner leaned back in his chair, speaking lazily,

“Tsk, little bootlicker.”

Soon, the day of the spring plowing arrived. Xie Shen donned his new attire and joined his father in the carriage heading out of the palace to the imperial farm.

Rarely getting the chance to leave the palace, Xie Shen found everything outside fascinating. He eagerly looked around and even stuck his head out of the carriage window several times.

“A Crown Prince should not behave like this.”

“Hey, mission-taker, hold onto him—don’t let him fall!”

Xie Hui had already grown accustomed to the original owner’s contradictory nature. He reached out and pulled Xie Shen into his arms, lifting the curtain slightly so the child could have a better view.

“Father Emperor, look! Is that a sugar figurine? Wow, that’s amazing!”

Following the direction of Xie Shen’s finger, Xie Hui saw a sugar figurine craftsman surrounded by a crowd of excited children, jumping up and down in delight.

“Go buy a sugar figurine.”

Xie Hui instructed a guard in a low voice, then turned to see the starlight-like sparkle in Xie Shen’s eyes. His lips curved slightly.

As long as it was within his ability, he didn’t want this child to have any regrets.

Some things, if missed in childhood, might linger in the heart for years to come. Even if one obtained them later, the missing piece would never quite be replaced.

“Father Emperor, should we hurry? If we’re too slow, we might not make it in time for the plowing ceremony.”

Xie Shen admitted that he really wanted the sugar figurine, but he was also afraid of delaying his father’s official duties.

“It’s fine. Today, we are heading to the imperial residence near the farm first. The ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow morning.”

The original owner had set a rule that the Emperor must begin plowing at sunrise. No matter how fast they traveled, they wouldn’t make it in time, so they had planned to arrive a day early and stay at the imperial residence.

“Father Emperor, is farming really that important?”

After asking, Xie Shen cautiously glanced at his father’s expression, fearing another reprimand like before—where he was scolded for asking something so simple.

He could tell from his father’s attitude that farming was indeed important, but he was curious about why.

“Of course. If no one farms, many people will starve.”

“Shen’er, do you remember when you accompanied me to morning court, and we stayed a little late? Your stomach kept growling the whole time.”

Xie Shen thought carefully and nodded, propping his chin up as he seriously pondered the matter.

By the time they arrived at the imperial residence in the afternoon, the place had already been cleaned in advance. Though it was still chilly outside, cherry blossoms on the branches were budding, though the cherry trees within the palace grounds remained bare.

The servants had prepared cloaks ahead of time, draping them over the two masters.

Xie Hui wore a dark-colored cloak, while Xie Shen’s was goose yellow.

As Xie Hui took in the scenery of the residence, he briefly lost focus. In that moment, Xie Shen let go of his hand.

Although Xie Shen had turned four, he still looked quite small. Wearing a cloak, his little legs moved quickly as he ran through the corridor and leaned against the pavilion railing, pointing at the green lake.

“Father Emperor, there are golden carp in the lake here!”

Xie Hui quickly caught up. Looking over, he indeed saw some golden fish mixed among the usual red and black ones.

Palace carp were typically red, both for aesthetic reasons and as a symbol of good fortune. Xie Hui wasn’t particularly surprised, but the little one found it fascinating and watched for a long while.

The imperial residence was slightly damp and cold. At night, they burned charcoal braziers, and in the middle of the soft couch, a low table was placed with a chessboard on top.

Xie Hui and the little one sat opposite each other, engaged in a game of chess.

Xie Hui had taught him many times, but Xie Shen still hadn’t grasped even the most basic rules and was quietly cheating by moving the pieces.

Thinking about Xie Shen’s age, Xie Hui’s impatience melted into amusement. He also felt the game was a bit difficult, so he simply taught him how to play Gomoku instead.

The rules were simple, and Xie Shen had never heard of the game before. After learning the rules, he played with his father until late at night.

Because he stayed up late, the next morning, even after Xie Hui was fully dressed, Xie Shen was still curled up under the covers, refusing to get up.

At first, Xie Hui teased him awake, but somehow, Xie Shen managed to bury his head back under the blanket, leaving only his little short legs sticking out.

Xie Hui pulled him out of bed, dressed him personally, and fed him some porridge. Even while drinking, Xie Shen was still half-asleep.

Originally, Xie Hui intended for him to walk on his own, but seeing him wobble like a drunken man once he stood up, he simply carried him again.

“Mm… Father, I… I can…”

Before he could finish speaking, he yawned.

The Client, with nothing to do in the space, started complaining again upon seeing this scene.

“As the Crown Prince of a nation, how can he be yawning endlessly on such an important day as the plowing ceremony? Completely lacking decorum! If the common people saw this, where would the dignity of the imperial family be?”

After finishing the rant, they hurriedly added,

“Order the servants to fetch a cloak and cover him with it like a small blanket. It’s too cold in the palace; don’t let him catch a chill.”

By the time Xie Hui carried his son to the ceremonial plowing site, the sky was still shrouded in mist, tinged with a raven-blue hue. Flags flapped loudly in the wind, the morning air carried a sharp chill, and even the treetops were bent over.

When His Majesty stepped onto the high platform, everyone knelt down and shouted in unison, “Long live the Emperor!”

The noise woke Xie Shen. He rubbed his eyes with his hands and then struggled to get down from his father’s arms, standing at his right side.

On the day of the plowing ceremony, before the sun rose, a ritual was first performed to pray for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

Kneeling on a prayer mat, Xie Hui received the lit incense from an attendant and bowed devoutly.

Xie Shen, standing to the right, mimicked his father’s posture, silently offering his own prayer.

Whether such things were truly effective was always an unknown, but faith had the power to transcend everything at times.

After the prayers, dawn had broken, and the sky was painted in a brilliant, overwhelming orange-yellow.

The guards had already prepared the plow and the ox for the ceremonial plowing. Xie Hui led his son into the fields.

Normally, emperors only performed the ritual symbolically, but Xie Hui took it seriously. When he was done, he was inevitably a bit disheveled.

Mud stained his once-exquisite dragon robe, and his usual imperial grace was nowhere to be seen, yet no one dared feel anything but deep reverence.

This moment was a perfect embodiment of the phrase His Majesty often repeated: “The people are the foundation of the country.”

Xie Shen clutched a small hoe, digging the earth with all his might. By the time he finished, his inner clothes were drenched with sweat.

An elderly farmer approached, hands trembling as he received the tools from His Majesty, his voice thick with emotion.

“With Your Majesty’s presence, this year’s harvest is sure to be bountiful.”

Xie Hui respectfully presented the farming tools he had used, bowing slightly, his attitude bordering on reverence.

Not far away, Xie Shen looked up at this scene.

In that moment, he seemed to grasp, just a little, the weight of responsibility that came with being a ruler.

By protocol, they could leave now, but seeing Xie Shen’s interest, Xie Hui chose to stay a little longer at the temporary palace. He and his son personally plowed and sowed seeds together.

Only after completing the full process did they return to the palace. The day before their departure, Xie Shen even ran to the fields to find the old farmers tending the imperial estate, earnestly asking them to take good care of the crops.

When autumn arrived, he wanted to come back with his father.

Just one visit to the temporary palace, and the little one had grown so much.

Xie Hui pondered when he should take Xie Shen to see the flood-affected areas.

Only by witnessing such things firsthand could they be imprinted deeply in one’s heart.

A parent’s heart inevitably feels an emptiness as their child grows, but as long as the growth is meaningful and right, pride outweighs that sense of loss.

Unlike the Client, who piled all responsibilities onto this child, forcing him to mature under their weight, Xie Hui chose to teach Xie Shen through experience and reasoning, growing alongside him and guiding him toward wisdom.

Just as this thought surfaced in his mind, Xie Hui pushed it down.

Looking at the little one fast asleep in his arms like a piglet, he felt it was best to wait until he was a bit older.

After all, when it came to floods, improper handling of corpses could easily lead to epidemics.

Children were far more vulnerable than adults—it was better to be cautious.

On the first night back at the palace, exhausted from the journey, Xie Hui wanted to retire early. After instructing the eunuchs to extinguish the candles, he had barely lain down when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

“Your Majesty!”

“Concubine Song… she… she attempted to take her own life!”

——————

—Gomoku (五目並べ) is a traditional Japanese strategy board game played on a Go board (usually 15×15 or 19×19). The game is also known as Five in a Row and is played with black and white stones. The goal is to be the first to form an unbroken line of five stones horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

It is similar to Tic-Tac-Toe but has more depth and complexity. There are also variations with additional rules, like Renju, which adds restrictions for Black to balance the game.