FID – Chapter 983

Chapter 983 — Can a Monkey Be King?

That very noon, Liu Yusheng and her group departed from the Liu Family Farm, taking Liu Ya with them.

They needed to first hurry to Jizhou to settle the affairs of the farm, to prevent any accidents in the back courtyard while they were away.

Although Liu Zhixia was there to watch over things, his authority was limited; if pressure came from above, he might not be able to handle it.

At the same time, Feng Qingbai sent a letter to the palace, informing them of the upcoming itinerary.

Upon receiving his letter, Feng Mohan and the Empress Dowager both went into a frenzy.

“He’s taking Nannan to go to Southern Xinjiang? Such a faraway place! A round trip would take at least half a year! What about Badou and Hongdou?!” The Empress Dowager was so angry that her silver hair quivered as she paced the hall, unable to sit still.

Feng Mohan was no better off. “Half a year! And even then, they might not return! Nobody knows where Southern Xinjiang even is right now. They still have to find the entrance after going northwest! And here my Imperial Uncle just left us completely in the dark!”

So in his Imperial Uncle’s mind, he wasn’t even as important as Xue Qinglian?

It was a matter of urgency, and Xue Qinglian’s situation was indeed more pressing. Although Feng Mohan knew he shouldn’t compare, he still felt an overwhelming sense of injustice.

To search for Southern Xinjiang, did the Imperial Uncle really have to go personally? What was his status? The King of Nanling!

Every move he made was watched by thousands!

A small accident involving him would require the whole of Nanling to mobilize!

If he wanted something done, there were plenty of personnel who could be dispatched. Did he really need to go personally?

Pacing another couple of rounds, the Empress Dowager said, “Write to your Imperial Uncle immediately! Have him send Badou and Hongdou back to the capital first!”

“Even if we send a letter now, my Imperial Uncle won’t see it. How many days has it been since he sent his message? I’m guessing he’s already on his way to the northwest!”

“Then send the letter to Xinghua Village. Tell that ignorant woman that I want to go fetch Badou and Hongdou back!”

Feng Mohan: “……” The Empress Dowager is leaving the palace? Since when did protocol no longer matter?

Only Badou and Hongdou could make the Empress Dowager bend her principles. So in her mind, his position was far below that of the two little ones. He was nothing more than an unwanted little cabbage.

The Empress Dowager ignored the boy’s resentful expression, still fuming with displeasure.

Feng Qingbai was taking Nannan to the northwest; she certainly wouldn’t bring the two little ones. The journey was long, and the dangers unpredictable.

They wouldn’t have time to return to the capital first, so Badou and Hongdou would inevitably be left in the care of that ignorant woman.

The thought made the Empress Dowager even more furious. She had never seen such irresponsible parents!

“Granny, please have the attendants pack up. We depart immediately.”

“Imperial Grandmother! Please don’t! Even if you intend to leave the palace, everything must be properly prepared. You can’t just leave like this! The canal is frozen and boats cannot travel; you’d have to go by carriage. Surely I must make the arrangements!” Feng Mohan’s face turned pale in fright.

If something were to happen to the Empress Dowager on the road, not to mention what her Imperial Uncle might do, General Qin would be the first to draw his sword and storm the palace to cut him down.

Feeling a flicker of unease, Feng Mohan forced a smile. “Imperial Grandmother, please don’t rush. Let me make the arrangements. I promise you will leave the palace today, alright?”

The Empress Dowager glanced at him, pressing her lips tightly together. “I will depart this afternoon.”

“Very well. I guarantee you will be able to depart this afternoon.”

The young emperor quickly left the Yangxin Hall, knowing he had gone to make preparations. Only then did the Empress Dowager reluctantly settle on her couch.

“Your Majesty, please don’t get upset. The King and Consort surely have no other choice. Otherwise, with how much the Consort cares for the two little ones, how could she bear to leave them behind?” The old matron tried to soothe her, seeing that her expression was still troubled.

“I know they must have urgent matters, but it’s unfair to Badou and Hongdou. They’ve barely spent any days with their parents since birth. If they can’t take them, then I will take care of them myself!” The Empress Dowager knew she had things to attend to and couldn’t take the children, yet she refused to leave them in the palace.

And yet? The two little ones were truly tossed wherever their parents went! Truly shameless parents!

Feng Mohan didn’t keep the Empress Dowager waiting too long. He promised she could depart that afternoon, and she did leave, but she was very dissatisfied with the escort team provided.

Just before leaving the palace, the Empress Dowager still wanted to make one last attempt at resistance. “Royal Chief Military Instructor Qin still has to train and cultivate the army for the kingdom. How can he leave his post at will? Surely someone else can—”

“Nothing is more important than protecting Your Majesty and the young prince and princess,” Qin Xiao interrupted. “In terms of escorting experience, there’s no one in the capital better than this old servant. Your Majesty, the safety of you and the two little ones comes first.”

When he mentioned the two children, the Empress Dowager fell silent.

Feng Mohan secretly chuckled beside her. Qin Xiao was truly a cunning old fox. He knew exactly what to say to leave the Empress Dowager with no room to object, while also making her naturally accept the current situation.

Watching the convoy and guards gradually leave the city gates, Feng Mohan felt overjoyed.

With this handled in one stroke, and without the Empress Dowager and Qin Xiao around, he could do whatever he wanted. The feeling of being able to breathe freely was simply exquisite.

Tsk-tsk, how could he be so smart? Truly emperor material.

On the carriage, peering out the window at the figures still lingering at the city gates, the Empress Dowager frowned at Qin Xiao. “The emperor’s temperament isn’t fully settled yet. Without someone to keep him in check, he could wreak havoc in the palace.”

“Do not worry, Your Majesty. Even in your absence, there are people in the palace capable of keeping an eye on him,” Qin Xiao said with a smile.

“Have you arranged everything?”

“Everything has been arranged.”

The young emperor thought that without the tiger in the mountains, the monkey could rule?

He was celebrating too early.

On the way back to the palace, Feng Mohan hummed a little tune he had heard in Xinghua Village, his spirits soaring. Even the palace guards seemed more pleasing to the eye than usual.

“Xiao Banzi, does the Pear Garden outside the palace have an opera performance at night?”

“Your Majesty, the Pear Garden troupe does indeed perform every night.”

“Then tonight we’ll leave the palace and go watch the show!” Hands clasped behind his back, Feng Mohan smiled freely. “As for tomorrow, we’ll go to Cuiting Mountain to see the ice sculptures. And the day after—”

The young emperor’s words froze as he pushed open the door to the Imperial Study, his smile vanishing instantly.

“…Elder Yuan?”

Inside, an old man with snow-white hair and a frail body rose unsteadily and bowed. “Your Majesty, at the behest of General Qin, I shall assist Your Majesty with state affairs during the period the Empress Dowager is away from the capital.”

Staring at the three-time veteran, so old he could barely open his eyes, Feng Mohan gritted his teeth in a smile, “To have Elder Yuan as my aide is more than I could ever hope for!”

They had actually sent someone even more senior than the Empress Dowager to keep an eye on him. 

Qin Xiao, you truly are a loyal minister!

The old official stood there with his hands clasped together, barely able to keep steady, his eyes half-shut as if he hadn’t fully woken.

The young eunuch glanced at the emperor’s grim expression. “Your Majesty?” Everything had gone awry.

“Forget it,” the young emperor ground his teeth and chuckled softly.

Old and experienced—that just meant old.

But he was still young. Wait a few decades. There would come a day when even the most senior elder would tire out before him!