Ashes to Crown

Chapter 216: Chapter 411: Childishness

While Xie Yanlai paced restlessly in the duty office, Xie Yanfang sat perfectly still, a position he had maintained for some time. The only movement was that of officials and Clerks coming and going around him.

The stacks of documents on his desk seemed endless, but Xie Yanfang’s expression and posture betrayed no hint of fatigue.

’Did Deng Yi think this would be enough to tire him out?’

He may be a noble son from an Aristocratic Family who had never toiled as a low-ranking official like Deng Yi, but the affairs of a great house were just as numerous as those of a county—and often far more complex.

’As for Deng Yi, a low-ranking official who had leaped to a high position, how was he scrambling to secure his footing? Surely he wasn’t still offering bribes as he did before.’

Xie Yanfang gripped his brush and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. ’If he’s still giving bribes now... that would truly be a joke.’

A eunuch hurried in and bowed respectfully. ”Mr. Xie.”

Xie Yanfang looked up, recognizing him as one of the Emperor’s personal eunuchs. He smiled. ”Does Your Majesty have an order for me?”

The eunuch gave a helpless smile. ”Your Majesty...” He glanced around, and the officials who had been straining to hear quickly backed away.

”It’s alright,” Xie Yanfang said to the eunuch. ”You can speak freely. Anything Your Majesty says is fine.”

His Majesty was the supreme ruler. Even at only six years old, he stood above all others, and his every word was law. Even if he said something improper, there was no need for concern as long as he, Xie Yanfang, was present. He could make the improper proper.

The eunuch understood Xie Yanfang’s meaning. His smile grew more deferential as he said, ”Your Majesty wishes to see Mr. Xie. He’s throwing a tantrum and refusing to eat. We servants don’t know what to do—”

His Majesty was a child, but when he lost his temper, none of them dared to intervene. He rarely threw a fit, but when he did, no one could talk him down.

It hadn’t been this way before; they had only come to realize it after the Empress left the palace.

Ever since the Empress’s departure, His Majesty refused to let the lamps be extinguished at night. The palace hall remained brightly lit, he couldn’t sleep or eat properly, and he had started throwing tantrums.

Yet, when attending court or studying, His Majesty remained diligent and earnest, never uttering a single complaint. This meant they couldn’t ask the officials to intervene. Such private moods and tempers could only be soothed and disciplined by family, and right now, His Majesty had no family in the palace.

This made his maternal uncle incredibly important.

And this tantrum was indeed because he wanted to see his uncle.

Hearing this, Xie Yanfang did not rise immediately. Instead, he asked, ”Is Your Majesty looking for his uncle, or for Mr. Xie?”

The eunuch froze. ’What’s the difference?’ he thought. ’Isn’t Mr. Xie his uncle? And isn’t his uncle Mr. Xie?’

”Think carefully. What were His Majesty’s exact words?” Xie Yanfang reminded him.

The eunuch thought for a moment before confirming, ”He said he wanted to see his uncle.”

Xie Yanfang smiled and gestured outside. ”Then go find Xie Yanlai. He’s on duty here today.”

The eunuch froze again. Xie Yanlai?

Of course, he knew who Xie Yanlai was. He was also His Majesty’s uncle, and a man of no small status—the entire Imperial Guard of the Imperial City was under his command. But with Xie Yanfang present, why would His Majesty ever need to see any *other* uncle?

’So, is Xie Yanfang just too busy? Is he sending his brother to placate the child?’

”Go on,” Xie Yanfang said, seeing the eunuch’s mind racing. ”His Majesty won’t throw a tantrum once he sees him.”

’Is that really true?’ the eunuch wondered. His Majesty had a terrible temper, but this seemingly gentle noble son likely had a formidable one as well. The Emperor and the Third Young Master Xie—he dared to provoke neither. He had no choice but to obey.

’Fine, let that Xie Yanlai go see His Majesty,’ he thought. ’If the Emperor is going to throw a fit, he can direct it at him.’

...

...

With a grim expression, Xie Yanlai strode into the Emperor’s bedchamber. Before he could perform the proper salutation, a small child came running toward him with a patter of footsteps.

”Uncle.” Xiao Yu threw himself into his arms, clinging to his waist.

The eunuch following behind him jumped in surprise. ’Huh? Where’s the tantrum? Did His Majesty not get a clear look at which uncle it was?’

Eunuch Qi followed with a smile. ”Slow down, Your Majesty.” He then bowed respectfully to Xie Yanlai. ”Captain Xie.”

Xie Yanlai’s face remained stern. He used two fingers to pry Xiao Yu off him. ”This subject has yet to pay his respects.”

Xiao Yu wobbled before finding his footing. He looked up at him and said first, ”Uncle, you are exempt from the formalities.”

Eunuch Qi smiled. ”Your Majesty and Captain Xie have things to discuss. We servants will wait outside.” With that, he led the way out. Seeing the other eunuch still standing there with his mouth agape, he gave him a shove.

The eunuch snapped back to his senses. ’The child Emperor is ill-tempered, Xie Yanfang is ill-tempered, Deng Yi is ill-tempered, and Eunuch Qi, the director of the inner palace, is the most ill-tempered of all—’

’Don’t be fooled by his smile; who knows how many eunuchs and Palace Maids have died by his hand recently.’

A shiver ran down the eunuch’s spine, and he scurried to follow.

”What did you want with me?” Xie Yanlai asked, pushing the child away again. He glanced at the untouched meal on a nearby table. ”I’m not going to feed you, you know.”

Xiao Yu shook his head. ”Uncle, I summoned you to ask about something else.” He took Xie Yanlai’s hand and led him further into the room. ”Come, sit over here.”

Xie Yanlai pulled his hand away but said nothing more, following Xiao Yu deeper into the chamber.

The eunuch, who had retreated to the doorway, glanced back at this scene and muttered to himself, ”So he really was looking for *this* uncle after all.”

Eunuch Qi, who was walking ahead, overheard him. With a faint, unreadable smile, he said, ”Figured it out, have you?”

The eunuch hurried to catch up with Eunuch Qi, and the two stood together outside the hall. Seeing the look on Eunuch Qi’s face, the eunuch finally understood everything. He gave a wry, fawning smile. ”Why didn’t you give me a little hint, sir? I ran around for nothing and kept His Majesty waiting.”

Eunuch Qi looked at him, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smile. ”Because Your Majesty didn’t say so.”

His Majesty had only said he was looking for his uncle. He hadn’t added a single word of clarification, deliberately allowing the listener to misunderstand. Why would he, Eunuch Qi, correct the eunuch?

The smile on Eunuch Qi’s lips turned wistful. ’Perhaps everyone changes once they become Emperor,’ he thought, ’even a six-year-old child.’

...

...

A Clerk placed a cup of tea on the desk.

”Mr. Xie, please have some tea,” he said respectfully. ”Captain Xie has gone to see His Majesty. I’m not sure what it’s about. Should I have someone look into it?”

Xie Yanfang took the tea. ”No need. He’s likely asking about the Empress.”

The fact that the Empress was no longer in the palace had not been announced to the courtiers. The official story was that she had been injured while saving Xiao Yu and needed to recuperate, which was why she no longer attended court or received visitors. The courtiers didn’t mind in the least; they would be perfectly happy if she recuperated forever and never appeared again.

Of course, those in Xie Yanfang’s inner circle knew where the Empress had really gone.

The Clerk said, ”Ah,” and smiled. ”So His Majesty really did want Captain Xie.” He shook his head with a grumble. ”That eunuch was a fool to come and bother you.”

Xie Yanfang smiled. ”Don’t blame him. It was His Majesty who guided him to do it.”

The Clerk froze. What did he mean?

”His Majesty deliberately let me know he was looking for his uncle,” Xie Yanfang explained. ”But the uncle he wanted was not me.”

The Xie family was the Xiao Emperor’s maternal family.

The eunuchs all knew that any courtier with the surname Xie was one of the Emperor’s uncles.

What the eunuchs didn’t know, however, was that the Emperor addressed his uncles from the Xie family differently.

In the past, the Xiao Emperor had called him ”Third Uncle.” But ever since he had taken his position at court, the Xiao Emperor simply addressed him as ”Mr. Xie” as a sign of respect.

The title ”Uncle,” however, had always been reserved for just one person.

Xie Yanlai.