Treasure Piggy sat in Emperor Liang’s lap, counting her tiny fingers. She tilted her head up to look at Emperor Liang and said with utmost seriousness, "Great-Grandpa, he’s a bad person."
Emperor Liang found it amusing and couldn’t stop himself from laughing as he asked, "Oh? Why does Zhaozhao think he’s a bad person?"
Treasure Piggy’s little face remained grave as she confidently replied, "Asking—asking children where they live, who their parents are, that’s a trafficker!"
"Hahaha!"
Emperor Liang burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Treasure Piggy waved her tiny hands: "Baby must not talk to traffickers."
"My State Preceptor is a trafficker..." Emperor Liang laughed so hard his whole body was shaking.
Every ti he thought this little one couldn’t get any cuter, she always managed to surprise him with sothing even more adorable.
After an entire morning of exhausting himself over the real and fake qilins, Emperor Liang finally found so relief in this mont.
He didn’t know how long he laughed; even tears nearly ca out from his eyes. "State Preceptor..."
Treasure Piggy cupped Emperor Liang’s face: "Great-Grandpa mustn’t talk to traffickers either."
Still chuckling, Emperor Liang said to the State Preceptor, "See, now she’s even ordering around!"
"No talking! No talking!"
Treasure Piggy got anxious and reached up to cover Emperor Liang’s mouth. "Great-Grandpa mustn’t talk to traffickers!"
On the side, Eunuch Yu watched with his heart in his throat.
Oh, little ancestor of ours, this is the Martial Emperor. Crawling all over him is one thing, but now you’re even daring to stroke the dragon’s whiskers.
Emperor Liang gently removed Treasure Piggy’s chubby little hands. "Zhaozhao, the State Preceptor is not a trafficker. He entered the palace to show a portrait."
"Portrait?"
Treasure Piggy craned her neck, peering around until she finally spotted the portrait on the desk.
Gongsun Yanming asked, "Miss Zhaozhao, do you recognize the person in the portrait?"
Treasure Piggy covered her mouth.
No talking to traffickers!
Emperor Liang looked at her with amusent, finding the little one endlessly entertaining.
Treasure Piggy wrapped her tiny arms tightly around Emperor Liang’s neck and bounced on him repeatedly. "Scared! Scared!"
Emperor Liang gently said, "Zhaozhao, don’t be afraid."
Treasure Piggy buried her face in Emperor Liang’s chest. "Scared! Scared! Zhaozhao is afraid!"
Emperor Liang quickly scooped up Treasure Piggy in his arms and awkwardly started soothing her as he walked.
Seeing Emperor Liang completely preoccupied with calming the child, Gongsun Yanming rose and cupped his hands in salute. "I shall take my leave and re-enter the palace to see Your Majesty another day."
Treasure Piggy hopped in place. "Baby is afraid!"
Emperor Liang hugged the little one tightly and waved a hand toward Gongsun Yanming.
Eunuch Yu sensibly stepped forward. "State Preceptor, allow this servant to escort you out."
And so, a plan to expose Lu Yuan was effortlessly interrupted by a child.
Outside, Gongsun Yanming glanced up at the sapphire-blue sky and remarked at an unhurried pace, "Miss Zhaozhao is truly adorable."
Eunuch Yu chuckled. "Indeed, there isn’t a child more endearing than Miss Zhaozhao."
The Imperial Study Room.
Emperor Liang dismissed the palace attendants and turned to the little one nestled in his arms. "Everyone’s gone; Zhaozhao, you can co out now."
Only then did Treasure Piggy lift her round little head and point towards the screen.
Emperor Liang carried her over.
She carefully inspected the area to confirm there was no trafficker hidden behind the screen, then pointed towards the cabinet.
Patiently, Emperor Liang carried her over to check all the drawers and cupboards. "Now there’s truly no one left, right?"
"Mm!"
Treasure Piggy nodded seriously, satisfied at last.
Emperor Liang’s gaze returned to the portrait. "Zhaozhao, tell Great-Grandpa, is this person your father?"
Treasure Piggy vehently shook her head. "No!"
That’s clearly Uncle Luo Shan; don’t think you can fool the baby!
Just as Gongsun Yanming was about to mount his carriage, Xiao Dazi ca running up, gasping for breath. "State Preceptor, please wait!"
Gongsun Yanming turned back. "Eunuch De, has His Majesty summoned ?"
Embarrassed, Xiao Dazi handed over the portrait. "His Majesty asked this servant to return the portrait to you."
Gongsun Yanming accepted it. "I understand."
Xiao Dazi bowed slightly. "State Preceptor, take care on your way."
Gongsun Yanming returned to the Thousand chanism Pavilion.
Gongsun Yu, who had been pacing back and forth in the courtyard, imdiately approached when he saw him. "Elder brother, how did it go? Is Lu Linyuan truly Lu Yuan?"
Gongsun Yanming narrowed his eyes and said, "His Majesty believes he isn’t."
"His Majesty doesn’t even trust Elder Brother anymore? What did His Majesty say?"
Gongsun Yu was utterly stunned.
After all, his elder brother was the State Preceptor, a favored confidant of Emperor Liang, as well as the benefactor of Dou Qingyi and Lu Qi.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that, if not for his elder brother finding the Guardian Qilin for His Majesty, Emperor Liang would still be the King of Qin in the Southwest and would never have established his empire.
Emperor Liang trusted his elder brother more than his own son.
How could this happen—
Gongsun Yanming replied blandly, "His Majesty didn’t say anything. He rely returned the portrait to ."
From Gongsun Yanming’s understanding of Emperor Liang, if the emperor truly harbored suspicions, he would have kept the portrait and imdiately launched an investigation into Lu Linyuan.
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