Chapter 381: Chapter 228: The Fate of the Tenth Prince_2
"Stinky father, if I am a pig, then you are an old pig." Zhao Yao yelled angrily, "An old pig with thick skin."
The emperor picked up Zhao Yao and laid him across his lap, then raised his hand and gently slapped Zhao Yao’s little bottom.
"You brat, how dare you insult your father."
"You’re the one insulting yourself." Zhao Yao retorted, and then leaned down to take a bite out of the Emperor’s thigh.
"Ouch, you brat, are you a little dog?"
Father and son engaged in a playful tussle once more.
Sun Kui watched as Zhao Yao’s feet kicked against the emperor’s face, and saw the emperor’s large hands pinch Zhao Yao’s delicate little face into all sorts of strange shapes.
Afterwards, the two of them started biting each other back and forth.
It was unbearable to watch!
Really unbearable to watch!
Luckily, only he saw it, and no one else did! The emperor’s majestic image remained intact!
Zhao Yao played around with the emperor for a while, and when he was tired, he lay on the emperor’s lap panting heavily.
The emperor’s face was neither red nor short of breath, as he raised his hand to gently pat his youngest son’s back.
Zhao Yao lay there on the emperor’s lap and soon fell asleep.
The emperor adjusted his posture and cradled Zhao Yao in his arms horizontally. Looking down and seeing his youngest son truly asleep, he couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, "You fall asleep as quickly as a pig."
Sun Kui silently thought to himself: Your Majesty, you’ve insulted yourself again.
Zhao Yao, from the earlier frolicking, had a little red face, making him look even more adorable.
The emperor reached out and gently pinched Zhao Yao’s cheek. Zhao Yao turned over and buried his little face in the emperor’s chest.
Sun Kui, fearing he might wake Zhao Yao, spoke very softly, "Your Majesty, shall I take the Tenth Prince to rest?"
"Wait a moment." The emperor said, while lightly patting Zhao Yao’s back, "Wait until he falls deeply asleep before taking him down."
"Yes." Sun Kui withdrew to the side. He noticed that the emperor held the child with precision, allowing the Tenth Prince to sleep comfortably. Moreover, the emperor’s gaze upon the Tenth Prince was filled with paternal affection.
At this moment, the emperor was entirely a loving father, a stark contrast to his earlier playful demeanor.
"Your Majesty, you clearly love the Tenth Prince dearly, so why do you always tease him?" Sun Kui couldn’t hold back and voiced the question that had long been puzzling him.
"Didn’t I say, sons are for teasing." The emperor laughed and said, "Look at how fun it is to mess with him."
Sun Kui: "... Your Majesty, if you continue like this, the Tenth Prince might grow to dislike you more."
"With such a good father as me, how could little ten dislike me?"
Sun Kui: "... Your Majesty, haven’t you noticed the Tenth Prince calls you ’Stinky Father’?"
The emperor looked down at his youngest son sleeping sweetly in his arms, eyes full of tenderness. Then he stood up and went to the next room, gently placing Zhao Yao on the bed. He carefully tucked him in.
Zhao Yao drowsily opened his eyes, saw the emperor, pouted his little lips and muttered, "Stinky father" before rolling to the inner side of the bed.
The emperor, hearing this, laughingly and indulgently scolded, "You little brat."
He walked out of the room and instructed Tong Xi, "Take good care of little ten."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The emperor turned and went to another room.
An old white-haired man in a Daoist robe was waiting for the emperor. Upon seeing him, he quickly stood up and saluted the emperor.
"Old Daoist greets Your Majesty."
The emperor stepped forward to personally help the old man up.
"Master, there’s no need for such formalities."
The old man smiled slightly, "Your Majesty, etiquette must not be abolished."
The emperor invited the old man to sit down, and he took a seat opposite him.
Sun Kui hurriedly served tea.
The emperor personally poured a cup of tea for the old man, then brought it to him with both hands.
"Master, please have some tea."
"Your Majesty, you flatter me." The old man accepted the tea cup and took a few sips.
The emperor sipped his tea while observing the old man opposite him.
"It’s been over twenty years since we last saw each other, yet Master you remain unchanged, just like before." The emperor and the old man were old acquaintances, and their last meeting was over twenty years ago.
"But Your Majesty, you are different now." The old man smiled kindly, "Your eyes are much more resolute than they were decades ago." Over twenty years ago, when the old man met the emperor, there was a hint of confusion in the emperor’s eyes.
"Over twenty years ago, I never thought of becoming the emperor of Great Zhou, but now I am the emperor of Great Zhou, so my gaze is naturally different."
"Back then, I did say you were the True Dragon Emperor, and you scolded me harshly for it."
Recalling the past, the emperor couldn’t help but chuckle, "At that time, my elder brother was still alive, so of course I’d be upset when you called me the True Dragon Emperor, Master."