My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

Chapter 181 Recollections 2.4 - Turbulent Times

It was a boy who looked no more than four or five years old.

He was fair-skinned, and his small face bore an almost seven-tenths resemblance to Consort Chen.

When she looked over, her long eyelashes fluttered, and she was exquisitely beautiful with red lips and white teeth, looking incredibly cute.

Although she hasn't fully matured yet, it's clear that she'll be a beauty in the future.

This child was the only child born to Emperor Xuande and Consort Chen, and also Emperor Xuande's most beloved son.

The Seventh Prince, Fu Tingyu.

After he entered, he walked up to the two of them.

He bowed respectfully to them and said in a clear voice, "Your subject greets Father and Mother."

"Yu'er has arrived."

Emperor Xuande looked down and saw his son, who was almost unable to lift his head due to the weight of the heavy golden crown on his head. He was immediately in a good mood and patted his head with a smile.

"I've told you so many times, you don't need to bow, why won't you listen?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Tingyu reached out to support his golden crown, struggled to raise his head, revealing a serious little face, and solemnly said, "Father, etiquette must not be disregarded."

...After all, the last son you exempted from the formalities was killed by you.

Upon seeing his appearance, the smile on Emperor Xuande's face faded slightly.

He chuckled and then vigorously rubbed the palm-sized head. "You child, you're not that old, but you've become just as annoying as those old fogies in the court."

Fu Tingyu: ...Kneeling won't work, not kneeling won't work either, you old bastard.

Seeing this, Consort Chen immediately teased, "Your Majesty, Yu'er is still just a child. Please don't take it to heart."

"Yu'er, come here quickly, your mother will feed you bird's nest soup."

Only after seeing her son did Consort Chen finally relax her furrowed brows and reveal a joyful expression.

She reached out and pulled Fu Tingyu over to sit beside her. She then scooped up a spoonful of bird's nest, blew on it, and fed it to Fu Tingyu.

Fu Tingyu: "..."

He struggled for a long time, but finally, looking at Consort Chen's expectant eyes, he silently opened his mouth.

The arrival of the Seventh Prince instantly enlivened the atmosphere in the hall.

Seeing the scene of the mother and son being kind and filial, Emperor Xuande felt good and picked up his chopsticks to join in.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, the hall was filled with laughter and merriment.

The three of them were so close and happy, they looked just like an ordinary family of three.

Unfortunately, this joyful atmosphere did not last long.

A young eunuch rushed in, knelt down with a thud, and urgently reported to Emperor Xuande, "Your Majesty! The Empress...!"

"What's wrong with the Empress now?"

Before the little eunuch could finish speaking, a pair of chopsticks came crashing down on his head, and Emperor Xuande's face instantly darkened.

He frowned impatiently, his eyes narrowed, a hint of anger flashing within them. "What has happened to the Empress again?"

"Is she dizzy again? Or is she sick again?"

The young eunuch was terrified, his face turning ashen, and he stammered, "I...I fainted, but..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuande's face immediately turned cold, and he fiercely raised his hand and smashed the teacup beside him onto the head of the little eunuch.

In an instant, blood trickled down the little eunuch's forehead, but he dared not cry out in pain and could only kneel on the ground, trembling incessantly.

"Your Majesty, please calm down! Your Majesty, please calm down! After the Empress fainted, the imperial physician was summoned to examine her pulse, and only then did we discover that the Empress was pregnant!"

"It's just that the pregnancy is unstable and I was startled, which is why I fainted. Please, Your Majesty, come and take a look!"

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

"You're pregnant?"

Emperor Xuande stood there, stunned, and muttered something to himself.

Fu Tingyu looked up and saw that the expression on Emperor Xuande's face was unreadable.

There was no trace of joy in his expression; instead, there was a mixture of complexity and uncertainty.

In the tense silence, he said in a low voice, "The Empress is pregnant again. I'm sure the Prime Minister will be very happy."

But it was as if he had just said it casually, and after he finished speaking, there was no further reaction.

After a short while, amidst everyone's anxious waiting, he seemed to have lost his appetite, put down his spoon, and said, "Never mind, I'll go take a look."

As soon as Emperor Xuande left, the tense atmosphere in the hall immediately relaxed, and Consort Chen slowly withdrew her gaze and breathed a sigh of relief.

Fu Tingyu slowly shifted his gaze to the pool of glaring blood on the ground.

No matter how many times he experienced this, he still felt unable to adapt.

At first, he did feel somewhat fortunate because of his identity.

But soon he realized that beneath this seemingly glamorous position lay many undercurrents and countless deadly schemes.

The various factions within and outside the central government are deeply entrenched and collude with each other.

They claimed to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic, concerned about the country and its people, but in reality, they each had their own ulterior motives and acted independently.

Emperor Xuande, who was at the center of power, was even more suspicious, incompetent, cruel, and inhumane.

He favored treacherous officials, listened to slander, and persecuted loyal ministers, creating chaos and disorder in the court and causing widespread suffering among the people.

However, if one were to say that she was incompetent, she would also know the art of balancing things, favoring Consort Chen and her son who had no family support and no power or influence, in order to suppress the Empress and her entourage.

On the surface, he and Consort Chen and their son seemed to be in the right place in this torrent, enjoying all the favor, but in reality, they were just dancing on the edge of a knife.

This dynasty was already teetering on the brink of collapse amidst the turmoil.

Even if they could survive under the rule of Emperor Xuande, they would eventually become victims of the power struggle.

Fu Tingyu stared at the pool of blood, lost in thought for a long time.

When Consort Chen saw this, she thought he was frightened, so she quickly ordered people to come forward and clean him up.

She looked at Fu Tingyu, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes. She raised her hand and gently patted his back, comforting him softly, "Yu'er, don't be afraid, your mother is here."

"It's alright, no matter what happens, your mother will protect you."

Looking at Consort Chen's gentle and loving face, Fu Tingyu was somewhat moved.

He slowly curled his lips into a smile, and a hint of sincerity appeared in his eyes.

He then reached out and gripped her hand tightly.