Chapter 63: The Crown Prince, Ex-Husband of the Transmigrated Woman (11)

Xie Hui stood with his hands behind his back, silently staring at the panicked young eunuch. He didn’t urge him to speak, yet it was precisely this silent pressure that caused the eunuch’s back to be drenched in cold sweat.

About two incense sticks’ time later, the sound of children playing could be heard. From the dense trees in the courtyard, a few children could be seen hopping and skipping toward them.

The moment they spotted the figure in bright yellow, their laughter abruptly ceased, and even their steps became steadier. When they reached Xie Hui, they knelt down one by one to pay their respects.

“Your son greets Father Emperor…”

Normally, they only needed to bow slightly when greeting him, but today, Xie Shen knew he had done wrong. He knelt and performed a formal grand salute, all the while tightly clutching the object hidden in his arms.

“Rise.”

Xie Hui stepped forward, reaching out to pull him up. After he stood, his head drooped in rare dejection. Xie Hui bent down and brushed the dust off his clothes.

It was natural for children to make mistakes. No matter how well-behaved and sensible a child was, there would always be times when they erred. If a child could handle everything perfectly at such a young age, what need was there for parents?

“I know I was wrong, Father Emperor. I shouldn’t have been mischievous and sneaked out to play during my tutor’s lesson time…”

The other study companions still knelt in place, not daring to rise. If His Majesty decided to hold them accountable, even the Crown Prince wouldn’t escape punishment, let alone them.

“If you knew it was lesson time, then why did you go out? Both your tutors are even older than your father. It’s fine for you to be playful occasionally, but you must always respect your teachers and their teachings.”

Xie Hui’s expression remained gentle, showing no intention of scolding the child, merely imparting a lesson.

“Father Emperor, I understand my mistake. I will personally visit the two tutors later and apologize.”

Xie Hui crouched down to meet his son’s eyes, reaching out to pinch the little bun tied with a hairband atop his head. In a low voice, he asked:

“Shen’er, can you tell Father Emperor what you went out for this time?”

“Of course, if you don’t want to say, that’s fine too.”

Thinking about it, children in this era only had one day off from lessons each month. That was indeed quite tough. If a child’s natural playfulness was suppressed for too long, it was only natural they’d want to sneak out to have fun.

Xie Hui was already considering how to introduce the modern concept of weekend breaks into their schedule.

“This time, since it’s your first mistake, I won’t punish you. But there must not be a next time.”

Xie Shen hesitated for a long moment but ultimately didn’t reveal what he had done, merely nodding lightly in agreement.

“Good boy.”

After soothing his son, Xie Hui instructed the eunuchs to select some gifts from his private treasury and send them with the Crown Prince to make amends to the two tutors.

Upon returning to his study, he was surprised that the client did not demand a harsh punishment for the child. Instead, the client seemed somewhat intrigued.

“You don’t want me to punish him severely and reprimand him for not behaving like a proper Crown Prince?”

Hearing Xie Hui’s words, the client sighed, leaning against the back of the chair and rubbing his temples. The mighty emperor, for once, lowered his noble head and admitted his mistake.

“No, the fault is mine. I thought I had given Shen’er the best of everything, but my care could never match your meticulous guidance. The Shen’er of today is indeed far better than the one in my memories.”

“Before, I even blamed Shen’er—blamed him for being gloomy and unlikable, for not caring about his father, for not visiting his eldest brother, for not asking after his sister’s well-being.”

“But now, I see that all the blame lies with me. I only ever wanted the best for my son, but I never considered whether what I thought was best was actually suitable for him. I never wondered if he truly liked what I wanted for him.”

If he had no comparison, as an emperor, he would never have admitted his mistakes. But the truth was undeniable—his child had not been inherently flawed. It was he who had slowly pushed the boy into that state.

“I recall that Shen’er once liked a young lady. She was… the niece of his maternal aunt, staying temporarily in her household. At the time, I disdained Concubine Song’s petty background and thought that girl’s family was too lowly. I felt she lacked the upbringing necessary to be the mother of a nation.”

“Moreover, she liked to wear white, and since I was already grieving my eldest son’s passing, I found her unlucky and even more irksome.”

“If he meets her again… if he still likes her, I hope you can cast aside prejudice and grant Shen’er his wish.”

Although Xie Shen was still young, traces of an emperor’s bearing could already be seen in him. He now frequently showed concern for his sisters’ lives and enjoyed clinging to his elder brother.

The Eldest Prince, who was supposed to have passed away last winter, now had Xie Shen’s company and was occasionally willing to step outside. His health had improved greatly. The imperial physicians even said that with proper treatment and precious medicines, he might live to old age.

The client did indeed love his empire above all else, but that did not mean he did not love his children.

“You once said she was unfit to be empress. But now, your harem holds no one like Consort Ning. Or… are you planning for Consort Ning to continue managing everything?”

After all, Consort Ning was no longer young. For now, it was fine for her to take on the workload, but in another decade or so, she would likely grow weary of it.

As for the remaining concubines in the harem, each one was more indifferent than the last.

Rather than entrusting them with managing the harem, they would probably prefer to simply collect their monthly allowances.

Xie Hui didn’t look down on women from smaller households, but as the mother of the nation, an empress had responsibilities beyond handling the internal affairs of the harem. Hosting banquets for officials’ wives and other such duties also fell upon the empress.

Noble daughters of prestigious families in the capital had been trained in such responsibilities from a young age. How could someone with only a few years of training catch up overnight?

Choosing an empress was different from an ordinary marriage. Family background was an extremely important consideration.

“This…”

The client listened to Xie Hui’s reasoning and, after some thought, still found it somewhat problematic. For a favored concubine, such concerns wouldn’t matter. But an empress was different.

Even in ordinary noble households, the main wife of the heir was chosen with extreme caution, ensuring she could manage an entire marquisate. How much more crucial was it for the imperial household?

“Are you the mission taker, or am I? Shouldn’t you be the one racking your brain over this?”

After saying this, the client fell silent. The emperor’s words were as good as gold—once spoken, they were difficult to take back. Yet the more he thought about it, the less he liked the girl he had visited in his past life.

Delicate and frail, she would tear up at the slightest harsh word and never argue back. With such a weak temperament, let alone managing palace affairs, she might not even be able to keep the other consorts in check.

And yet, she refused to be a concubine—she insisted on being the principal wife. If a favored concubine were to rise above the empress, it would be nothing but a joke.

The more he dwelled on it, the more frustrated he became, but he couldn’t think of a solution. In the end, he simply shoved the problem onto Xie Hui. The man was already dead—what, was he supposed to solve this too?

Xie Hui could hear the blatant attempt to shift responsibility in the client’s words. Rubbing his forehead helplessly, he acknowledged that this was indeed something he needed to think about.

About half a month later, it was the client’s birthday. Naturally, the emperor’s birthday had to be celebrated with grandeur, and the palace banquet was personally overseen by Consort Dowager Ning.

Since it was a major milestone, the celebration was even more elaborate. As the banquet began, Xie Hui suddenly understood why the client had always placed such importance on the crown princess’s family background.

Though Consort Dowager Ning had never been favored by the late emperor, her illustrious lineage ensured that no one in the harem dared to slight her. The education she received from a young age allowed her to manage palace affairs with impeccable order.

Because of her, the client had felt free to indulge in selecting concubines from lowly backgrounds, knowing he had someone capable in charge.

But now, with no more concubines to inherit from the previous emperor’s harem, the next crown princess would inevitably bear significant responsibilities. This choice could not be made carelessly.

At the banquet, Xie Hui carefully observed the daughters that ministers had brought along. Their appearances and demeanor were flawless, and purely in terms of looks, each was charming in her own way.

After the banquet, as the ministers departed the palace, Xie Hui prepared to personally escort the crown prince back to his residence. However, just as they reached the entrance, Xie Shen released his hand and quickly ran inside to retrieve an exquisitely crafted box.

Like a child presenting a treasure, he handed it to his father.

“Father, look! This is my birthday gift to you.”

Xie Hui opened the box and glanced inside—it was a tool for hanging brushes, though its craftsmanship was rather rough. But when he turned his head slightly and met Xie Shen’s expectant gaze, he quickly realized that the child had likely made it himself.

Thinking back, the last time he had caught the boy sneaking around mischievously, it must have been for this.

“Shen’er, which master crafted this? It has a wonderful, antique charm.”

Xie Shen tried to suppress the smile tugging at his lips but failed, letting out a few chuckles as he bounced across the corridor to fetch another item—a lantern he had also made himself.

“Happy birthday, Father! Everything I have comes from you, so I can only offer these simple gifts to celebrate your birthday.”

“As long as Father doesn’t mind them.”

Xie Hui accepted the lantern that the boy had tiptoed to hand him and smiled.

“My son’s gift is worth more than gold.”

Just as Xie Shen had said, his father was now the ruler of the world—no rare treasure could truly surprise him.

What mattered was the sentiment behind the gift. And… the person giving it.

Inside the system’s space, the client remained silent for a long, long time. He could no longer recall the exact year, but it seemed that he, too, had once received a similar small box.

At the time, he had been so furious about his son neglecting his studies for trivial crafts that he had severely reprimanded him.

The client had already realized his past mistakes, but now, he felt his errors were even more egregious. The reason the child had been so easily touched by the slightest kindness from others was likely because of him.

The former client had never considered himself in the wrong—he had only blamed the child. Being trapped within his own circumstances, his thoughts had been clouded with bias. But now, viewing things as an outsider, he saw everything with stark clarity.

…

Children grow quickly, especially with the crown prince spending his days studying and training with his companions. In the blink of an eye, the little boy who once struggled to hold a horse stance had grown into a refined young man.

The crown prince was benevolent and methodical in his approach to matters. His study companions were also exceptional—once he ascended the throne, they would undoubtedly become his most trusted aides.

Before turning sixteen, the crown prince only occasionally attended court to observe. After his sixteenth birthday, he officially began participating, and his insights on governance aligned closely with the emperor’s.

Seeing the crown prince grow into such an outstanding figure, and with only a sickly eldest prince and the crown prince as the emperor’s two sons, no one dared to bring up the topic of imperial consorts anymore.

Now, rather than worrying about the emperor’s harem, ministers frequently brought up the matter of the crown prince’s.

After all, by the time the emperor was the prince’s age, the late emperor had already bestowed several concubines upon him. Yet now, apart from the elderly wet nurses who had cared for him since childhood, the crown prince had barely any palace maids around him.

Xie Hui had received numerous memorials urging the selection of a crown princess. By this age, Xie Shen was indeed at the right stage for an engagement.

Since Consort Dowager Ning was still in good health, it would be best to arrange the engagement now so that she could personally educate the future crown princess. A few years of guidance would ensure she was ready for marriage.

By then, the crown prince’s ascension and the empress’s coronation could be held together.

Just as these thoughts were taking shape, Xie Hui received unexpected news from the eunuch serving by the crown prince’s side.

The prince, who rarely left the palace, had made three trips outside in just one month—all to visit the home of Noble Consort Song’s mother.

Recalling the emperor’s special instructions to keep an eye on a certain cousin, the eunuch hurriedly added,

“His Highness has gone three times in total, and according to the servants attending him, on two occasions he encountered the young lady who accompanied her aunt to visit Lady Wang.”