Chapter 284: Refused

Chapter 284: Chapter 283: Refused

Xiao An was only a one-year-old toddler, but the little guy was sturdy.

He was chubby and exceptionally healthy.

While other children his age were delicate flowers in need of coddling, this little rascal was tossed around by his parents, left to crawl all over the floor, and even taken horseback riding, all of which made him cackle with glee.

Xiao Yang didn’t dislike children, and Xiao An, who looked like a cherub from a painting, was especially endearing.

She disliked clingy children, but Xiao An stuck to her like glue.

It was a conspiracy. Prince Jing would bring his grandson to the palace and foist him on her.

Xiao Lv would bring his son to the palace and foist him on her.

The moment Xie Liuzheng saw her, she too would foist the child on her.

‘Was this child from the Prince Jing Mansion, or was he hers?’

Every time she tried to slack off, she was inevitably stuck with babysitting duty.

Making the Emperor babysit… you had to wonder if the family was exceptionally loyal or just incredibly audacious.

Despite her complaints, Xiao Yang securely strapped the baby to herself, wrapping him snugly in her cloak to protect him from the wind.

All the way back to the Capital City, the little one in her arms was quiet. He slept soundly, one hand clutching her lapel and the other gripping her Jade Pendant.

“Your Majesty.”

Rong Yin was waiting to greet her at the palace gates, so Xiao Yang immediately handed the child over to him—a ruthless Emperor, showing not a shred of attachment.

Xiao An had been a frequent visitor to the palace over the last six months, so Rong Yin was quite familiar with the boy. He had held him a few times and took him now without any panic.

Xiao Yang strode toward her residence. Xu Xingchen had gone to the Xu Mansion and wasn’t with them. As Rong Yin followed her back to Zichen Palace with the child in his arms, they looked surprisingly like a family of three.

They ran into Xiao Lv on the way, and he came over to take the child as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

He wasn’t the least bit surprised to find his son with the Emperor.

After all, in this world, a child might be in danger in anyone’s hands, but with the Emperor, he was the safest of all.

Xiao Lv left with the child, but Rong Yin’s gaze lingered. Xiao Yang asked, “You like him?”

Rong Yin’s expression flickered. “I do not.”

The Emperor was unable to conceive, and he himself had taken a sterility medicine. Fearing she had mistaken his wistful gaze for a desire to have a child of their own, he denied it in a panic.

Xiao Yang said, “If you want him, go snatch him back.”

Xiao Yang crossed her arms, looking at him. “It’s not like anyone in the Prince Jing Mansion seems particularly keen on raising him anyway. We can just keep him in the palace for fun.”

‘If her men had a child to dote on, maybe they wouldn’t be so clingy with her.’

‘She was a genius.’

Rong Yin, oblivious to the Emperor’s little scheme, took her words seriously. “You mustn’t joke about such things. Xiao An can visit the palace anytime, but he cannot live here permanently. All eyes are on you, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor was twenty-one and had only been married for half a year, but the entire court was already watching for signs of a royal heir.

If Xiao An were raised in the palace and Her Majesty failed to produce an heir within a few years, she would undoubtedly face pressure to name him the Crown Prince.

As endearing as Xiao An was, matters of state were not to be trifled with.

Xiao Yang clicked her tongue. ‘How tedious.’

‘As a person who preferred to act on pure impulse, she couldn’t understand the cautious posturing of these politicians.’

‘She was the Emperor, supreme power in her hands. If she wanted something, why did she need to consider so many trivialities?’

Besides, when it came to succession and the title of Crown Prince, anyone who dared tell her what to do would be made to regret ever opening their mouth.

True to her word, Xiao Yang dispatched her people the very next day to bring Xiao An to the palace.

Whenever one of her four Imperial Consorts came looking for her, she would hand the child off to them and make her escape. She thought this meant freedom, but in reality, her troubles were just beginning.

Xiao An never cried or fussed and was well looked after in the palace. His only issue was his constant search for Xiao Yang.

That little critter had the tracking skills of a hound. No matter where Xiao Yang hid, he would find her—and he’d bring one of the Imperial Consorts with him.

“Zhu Zhu~~~”

“Zhuhu, Zhu Zhu here~~~”

Xiao Yang: “…”

‘This child… was he some kind of punishment sent from the heavens?’

Xiao Yang kept the child for a month and was tormented by him for a month. She even had nightmares about him chasing her.

A month later, when the grain yield figures were published, the Research Institute and Xie Liuzheng’s name made the front-page headlines. Xiao Yang promoted Xie Liuzheng accordingly, making her the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

Xiao Yang even held a small banquet at the palace to celebrate her promotion. As it turned out, history was about to repeat itself.

Xie Liuzheng threw up. Again.

An Imperial Physician was summoned, and to no one’s surprise, the diagnosis was pregnancy.

Xiao An squirmed out of Xiao Yang’s lap, grabbed her wine cup, and tried to drink from it.

Xiao Yang simply picked up the little monster. “Do you two still want this one?”

Xie Liuzheng laughed. “If you like him, Your Majesty, you can have him. He can even take your surname.”

Was there even a difference between Xiao Lv’s “Xiao” and Xiao Yang’s “Xiao”?

Xiao Yang was tired of the game and wanted to return the little brat, but Xiao Lv, citing Xie Liuzheng’s pregnancy as the reason, absolutely refused.

Xiao Yang turned her gaze to Prince Jing and Consort Meng.

The pair of them feigned ignorance. If the Emperor didn’t ask, they wouldn’t take the child. And even if the Emperor did ask, they still wouldn’t take him.

It wasn’t that Prince Jing didn’t love his grandson—he had knelt and prayed to his ancestors in gratitude when the boy was born.

But he was busy. Besides, the little rascal was getting more mischievous by the day, constantly yanking on the beard he’d just started to grow. He was on the verge of yanking it bald.

‘Anyway, the little rascal is living splendidly in the palace, and I get to see him often. It’s a great setup.’

As for Consort Meng, she preferred a quiet life. She wasn’t particularly close to Xiao Lv to begin with, so she certainly wasn’t about to volunteer to look after his child and risk being blamed if anything went wrong.

And so, the child remained in the palace.

Eight months later, Xie Liuzheng gave birth to another son, whom they named Xiao Ning.

The second birth was much easier; Xie Liuzheng delivered him within a few hours and didn’t suffer much.

At that time, Xiao An was still living in the palace. For his baby brother’s hundred-day banquet, it was Xiao Yang who had to tote him over.

Xiao Yang was speechless. ‘Whose child is this, anyway?’

‘Do Xiao Lv and Xie Liuzheng even remember they have a child stranded in the palace?’

Not long after Xie Liuzheng delivered, Song Qingyi also gave birth, to a daughter.

Xiao Yang watched as babies were born one after another. Aside from being a bit of a nuisance, she had to admit it was also rather interesting.

Xiao Lan and Xiao Cheng also married. Both now served as Palace Commanders, had been granted the title of Princely Heir, and held military posts. They had finally made a name for themselves.

Xiao Lan’s wife, Zhong Ningxue, studied diligently. She failed the civil service exams twice but remained undiscouraged, determined to pass and become an official. Impressed by her spirit, Xiao Yang appointed her as Xu Ling’s assistant.

It was a good way for her to get accustomed to the life of an official ahead of time.

Xiao Cheng’s wife, Tao Mulan, on the other hand, had no such ambitions. She focused on learning how to manage the household and its properties.

Tao Mulan became pregnant six months after her wedding. Less than a month after her pregnancy was confirmed, she was told she was expecting twins.

However, her belly grew larger and larger, eventually reaching a preposterous size that left her bedridden.

Zhong Ningxue and Xu Ling paid her a visit. When they returned, their faces were pale.

Zhong Ningxue gestured with her hands. “Her belly… it was *this* big.”

‘It was terrifying.’

‘She looked like she was about to burst.’

Even the Imperial Physicians found it unbelievable and suspected she was carrying triplets.

The entire family watched over her as if she were the most precious treasure in the world.

When Tao Mulan was seven months pregnant, Xiao Cheng took leave from his duties to stay by her side. Three months later, under the watchful eyes of a team of Imperial Physicians and midwives, Tao Mulan survived a near-fatal ordeal and gave birth to quadruplets.

Quadruplets!!!!

Hearing the news, all three of them stared wide-eyed.

One adult and two little ones.

Xiao Yang was holding Xiao Ning, with Xiao An clinging to her neck.

That’s right. Xie Liuzheng and her husband had also dumped their six-month-old second son at the palace.

Mischievous as ever, Xiao An was mimicking Xiao Yang’s wide-eyed expression. Little Xiao Ning, not knowing any better, immediately copied his big brother.

Tao Mulan’s birth of quadruplets stunned the entire Capital City. It even made the newspapers, creating a huge sensation.

For once, Xiao Yang’s curiosity was piqued, and she personally went to see the four babies on their one-month celebration.

The four babies were tiny, looking like little monkeys, but they were all healthy.

Tao Mulan, however, had been severely weakened by the ordeal, and it would take a long time for her to recover.

Xiao Yang bestowed many gifts upon them, but the entire affair only reinforced her decision to keep the matter of childbirth at a very respectful distance.

‘It was much better just watching other people go through it.’