Mo Ran turned to Shu Yang with a sly smile: “Hey, I heard Cloud Moon Country not only has abundant food but also many beautiful women! Why don’t you choose a queen to cherish here?”
Shu Yang’s face darkened, and I slapped Mo Ran: “Brat! Don’t teach your mother to have an affair! Otherwise, I’ll sell you as a ‘duck’!” Mo Ran looked innocent: “Father, you’re biased, always slapping me, but so loving to him!”
“If you don’t call me mother, I’ll plant you in that forest like a tree!” Shu Yang patted my shoulder. I smiled knowingly: “Alright, for the moon’s sake, we’ll spare him. Let’s go eat!”
Munching on pastries, I explained our plan to enter the palace.
Mo Ran screamed, “What?! We have to dress as women?!” I threw my shoe at him, and he ‘honored’ me with a humorous response: “Brat, don’t want to? Are you shouting so loud because you’re afraid no one will know?!”
Mo Ran quickly covered his mouth and handed my shoe back. Shu Yang said helplessly, “I and Dugu Gongzi have no problem, but Lan’s physique… doesn’t look like a woman at all.”
I sized Lan up, “Indeed, he looks really masculine.”
Lan appeared unhappy, with a few black lines on his forehead. I clapped my hands: “Got it! Since we’re entering the palace, someone needs to watch our luggage. Lan is too manly to disguise as a palace maid, so this great mission is his!”
Lan protested, “But I need to protect the emperor!” I rolled my eyes, “Stop with the professional ethics! Look at my martial arts; I was once a bodyguard too. What difference would one less of you make?”
Lan fell silent. Hearing the palace was recruiting new maids, we stuffed some silver to the officials and successfully mixed into the group after a simple disguise.
I looked at Mo Ran and Shu Yang in their women’s clothing, covering my mouth and secretly laughing, not daring to make a sound for fear of attracting trouble.
Moran looked at me dissatisfied: “Dad, can’t you stop gloating?” I looked back at Shuyang, seeing him like a bullied little wife, which made me laugh even more. “This isn’t gloating, this is appreciation! Look at you two in women’s clothes, how perfectly they fit! Bulging where it should bulge, curving where it should curve, truly spot on! Just like a real woman!”
“You…” Moran was so angry he couldn’t speak. I covered my mouth and laughed mischievously, while Shuyang’s face turned completely red, secretly deciding he would absolutely, under no circumstances, wear women’s clothes again!
It’s not that I’m vulgar or crude. If you saw them like this, you’d definitely laugh! Those feminine gestures… Replace a few steamed buns, wiggle the hips, throw a flirtatious glance—such charm!
Half a moment later, he said, “Can I call you Xiao Han?” I nodded. He revealed the purest and most innocent smile: “Then you can call me Bao Xi! My name is Yun Bao Xi!” I nodded, secretly sighing; this child not only looks cute, but even his name is adorable.
After changing his clothes and helping him wash up, I held his little hand and took him to court. At dusk, we sat in the pavilion, he eating his pastry, while I was lost in thought. Looking at Bao Xi, he seemed quite young, so calling him the young emperor was absolutely appropriate.
But why was he emperor at such a young age?
I shared my thoughts with Bao Xi, who pondered for a moment before saying, “That’s because Bao Xi’s father and mother went to a very, very far place not long ago, and Bao Xi is an only child.”
This “very far place” was likely a way to comfort him—a lie. It seems the previous emperor and empress are no longer alive. Bao Xi, like me, is an orphan. The bloodline of Cloud Moon Kingdom is indeed thin; no wonder it has always been ranked last among the four countries.
A moment later, I asked, “Bao Xi, how old are you?”
Bao Xi swallowed his pastry and replied cheerfully, “Bao Xi is fourteen years old!”
I realized he was two years younger than me, though still a bit older than I imagined. Fourteen and still this cute—people in ancient times seem to mature slowly… truly a young emperor.
Speaking of which, who was the Luo Yan that Bao Xi mentioned this morning? I paused, mustering courage to ask: “Bao Xi, who is the Luo Yan you called this morning?”
Perhaps I asked something I shouldn’t have. Bao Xi’s lively eyes dimmed, looking like he was about to cry. A sense of guilt surged within me. “If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t. Don’t cry.”
Bao Xi shook his head, put down his snack, and slowly said: “Luo Yan, a girl I’ve liked for a long time, about your age, looking exactly like you. Only, Luo Yan’s personality is just the opposite of yours. Since childhood, my body was always weak, often bedridden. Therefore, my father arranged a medical lady to take care of my needs, and she was Luo Yan.
Under her care, my health gradually improved, and I discovered I had fallen in love with her. When I told my father, he opposed our marriage.” Hearing Bao Xi, I realized this kid’s first love started too early.
I snapped out of it to see Bao Xi crying, large tears falling. I panicked and hurriedly wiped his tears with my sleeve.
His voice became hoarse but continued: “Later, someone told my father that Luo Yan was executed. I didn’t believe it. I’d rather believe she was temporarily out of the palace. I know Luo Yan will return one day!”
I hugged him sympathetically, gently patting his back. “Bao Xi, don’t cry. Sorry, I’m not Luo Yan…”
Bao Xi held me tightly. “It’s okay. I’ve grown up. I know Luo Yan has truly left this world. No matter how I wait, she won’t come back. So, I must live well and be happy, or Luo Yan would worry.”
Such a sensible child. But then he suddenly blurted out a sentence that almost made me spit blood: “So, Xiao Han, will you be my wife?”
“I’ll treat you like I treated Luo Yan!” I twitched my mouth. “You’re clearly treating me as a replacement!”
Bao Xi pouted, his tearful eyes making him look more pitiful. “OkayXiao Han~” I was stunned. He’s making this difficult! Nicely put, it’s a sibling romance; harshly put, it’s an old cow eating tender grass! I’m not old, just two years older, but marrying him is out of the question with Shu Yang, Shang, and Mo involved.
If he queues up as one of my four husbands, I might reluctantly agree. But marry only him? “No! I have a lover.”
I must admit, Bao Xi is truly persistent. “Then I’ll marry your lover together with you!” He even applauded himself. I’m speechless! With this level of intelligence, can he really be a national ruler? “Bao Xi, this isn’t possible. Men can’t marry men, and that man has a very high official position!”
I’ve tried to lower my tone; I’ve never been this nice to a junior! But he’s not getting it! “Why can’t we marry? Is his official position bigger than mine?”
Seeing his curious expression, I wanted to bang my head against a wall! “We just can’t marry! People will scold you! And that person’s official position is the same as yours!” Bao Xi shook his head. “I don’t believe it. He wants to marry you! Wuwu…”
But I don’t want to marry only you… Why should I abandon my perfect harem for you?
Ah, I have an idea to buy some time, “Well, marrying you isn’t impossible, but I don’t want to marry now. Can we just get engaged first?”
Children’s thoughts are so simple! Look how Bao Xi immediately agreed, nodding like he’d been electrocuted, “Okay!”
I awkwardly asked, “Bao Xi, are you a virgin?”
As expected, Bao Xi tilted his head and curiously asked, “What is a virgin?”
I almost fell over and my eyebrows twitched: “I’m asking if you’ve been in bed with a woman, that… that…”
This kid was determined to get to the bottom of it: “What is that?”
I couldn’t help it, this kid was too troublesome, “Have you slept with a woman!” If he asked me again, I really wouldn’t know how to answer; after all, he was still a flower of the motherland, and I wanted to protect him.
