When the Emperor and Mr. ng were playing chess and chatting, Zhao Yao did not leave but sat beside them, watching them play. However, after a while, he laid beside and fell asleep. Initially, he was pretending to sleep, but he ended up really sleeping.
Zhao Yao was awakened by the Emperor pinching his face. The Emperor laughed and scolded him a few tis, but Zhao Yao didn’t mind.
During lunch, the Emperor and Mr. ng continued discussing state affairs while Zhao Yao sat quietly beside them, eating his food.
After lunch, the Emperor took Zhao Yao back to the palace.
Apart from the initial greetings, Mr. ng did not speak much with Zhao Yao, and naturally, nothing like Tong Xi predicted—Mr. ng wanting to take Zhao Yao as a student—happened.
In the carriage on their way back to the palace, the Emperor glanced at Zhao Yao and asked, "Little rascal, do you want to be Mr. ng’s disciple?"
Zhao Yao replied without thinking, "No."
Though he had anticipated his youngest son to say so, the Emperor still raised an eyebrow at his lack of hesitation, "Why not?"
"I don’t like studying," Zhao Yao’s reasoning was straightforward and blunt.
"Do you know how many people wish to be Mr. ng’s disciple?"
Zhao Yao glanced at the Emperor with a tone full of indifference and said, "What does it have to do with ? I still don’t want to."
"You should know the benefits of being Mr. ng’s disciple, right?"
"I know, but I still don’t want to." Although they didn’t vocalize it, the father and son conversation beca much more direct. "Father, you don’t want to beco Mr. ng’s disciple, right?"
"It’s not who wants it, but Mr. ng expressed interest in accepting you as a disciple."
"I don’t believe it. I didn’t see any such intention from him," Zhao Yao said, "Moreover, he didn’t say anything to ." Could it be that Mr. ng said sothing to the Emperor while he was asleep?
The Emperor asked, "If Mr. ng personally tells you he wants to accept you as a disciple, what would you do?"
"I would thank him for his kind offer, but I don’t want to be his disciple."
The Emperor tapped Zhao Yao’s little head and laughed, "I knew it, you little rascal, no ambition at all."
"I have no ambition." Becoming Mr. ng’s disciple would just be asking for trouble.
"You little rascal." The Emperor, annoyed, ruffled Zhao Yao’s small face.
Zhao Yao quickly retaliated. The father and son pinched each other’s faces and noses playfully in the carriage before stopping.
Lying on the Emperor’s lap, Zhao Yao, with a flushed face, said, "Father, a forced lon is not sweet; don’t force to beco Mr. ng’s disciple."
The Emperor pinched his youngest son’s little face again and said helplessly but indulgently, "Can I force you?"
Hearing this from the Emperor, Zhao Yao knew in his heart that the Emperor wouldn’t force him.
"I’m sleepy; I want to take a nap." Zhao Yao buried his face in the Emperor’s abdon.
The Emperor gently patted Zhao Yao’s back and softly said, "Sleep well."
Zhao Yao hugged the Emperor’s waist tighter, snuggled against the Emperor’s belly, and then peacefully fell asleep with his eyes closed.
The Emperor looked down to see his youngest son already asleep, slightly surprised, softly cursed, "Is this kid a pig? Sleeping just like that." Though he said this, he adjusted his position to allow Zhao Yao to sleep more comfortably in his arms.
After the Emperor left, Minister Li quickly brought the articles and poems sent by the Crown Prince for Mr. ng.
Mr. ng didn’t rush to read them but put them aside first.
The Crown Prince was waiting for Mr. ng’s reaction after reading his writings. He thought Mr. ng would summon him imdiately after reading, but he waited until the next day without a word from Mr. ng.
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