The Emperor’s Bridal Gift to the Regent - Chapter 5

The sound of the neighborhood patrol already echoed from the street corner. This was the first time Mei Jinshu had ever felt this furious. He thought to himself that if he did not find the boy within the hour, he would simply leave him to his fate.

Whether he lived or died would depend entirely on his own fortune.

Despite such thoughts, when he saw the balance he had cleared today, a full one thousand points, his heart inevitably softened.

Being a villain caught in the middle was truly difficult. He had to please Meng Changqi while remaining wary of those around him. The idea of raising a “white-eyed wolf” who would eventually covet him was a hurdle he truly could not get over in his heart.

Currently, aside from being harsh toward Meng Xueran, was he supposed to try and reform him through kindness?

If kindness could have reformed him, he would not have ended up in such a tragic and painful state in his previous life.

At the corner, two figures, one tall and one short, walked toward him. Mei Xianxue was leading a cowering figure who seemed terrified of him. This finally allowed Mei Jinshu to breathe a sigh of relief.

Mei Xianxue nudged the dazed Meng Xueran and whispered a reminder: “Do not be afraid. Speak up.”

“Father, I” Meng Xueran was terrified of being scolded or sent back to the palace. His heart hammered against his ribs. The determination he felt when jumping off the carriage was in stark contrast to his current apologetic stance.

“I am sorry. I was wrong.”

“Scold me if you must, but please, do not send me away.”

“I am tired, so I will not scold you.” Mei Jinshu questioned him, “Where did you get the courage to jump from a moving carriage? Why did you not just jump into the moat? You are not very big, but your temper certainly is.”

“I will not do it again.” Meng Xueran kept his head low. His eyes were swollen like walnuts, showing just how aggrieved he felt.

“Let us return to the residence first.” What Mei Jinshu wanted was for Meng Xueran to fear him, to not dare commit insubordination or harbor twisted thoughts. Having achieved that goal, he was satisfied. After all, he did not know whose hands his own life would be in later. If he pushed the boy too hard and the boy held a grudge, the loss would outweigh the gain.

He let out a yawn, feeling truly exhausted. The three of them boarded the carriage and headed home.

Back at the residence, Mei Xianxue advised kindly, “A-Shu, do not be so cold. He is a young Prince, after all. You must show him some respect. If something happens again, I may not have the time to help you find him.”

Mei Jinshu replied, “I know what I am doing. Sister, you should also rest early. By the way, are you not returning to your own manor?”

“No!” Mei Xianxue refused immediately. “We both know how that manor came to be. I will never go back. Nor will I bow my head to His Majesty.”

Mei Jinshu said, “Sister, I want you to stay in the capital. Do not provoke the Emperor’s wrath further or remain on bad terms with him. I only want you to be safe.”

Mei Xianxue replied, “Do not worry yourself with such thoughts. Am I not doing perfectly fine?”

“Then, do you not miss the Princess?” Mei Jinshu weighed his words before speaking. “After all, she is your”

“Do not mention the past again. Over the last two years, I have come to understand things clearly.”

“Truly?”

“Of course. I am myself first, then a General, and only then a woman and a mother. I have the right to choose my own life, which includes refusing to enter the palace.”

Mei Jinshu smiled. “Then do not go back. This place will always be a home for you and me.”

On the wide bed, two figures lay close together.

Without the glaring contests of their disputes, there was a sense of calm and ease.

Meng Xueran tugged at the quilt, inching closer to Mei Jinshu. “Father, can I also become your family?”

Mei Jinshu replied, “You have a family. Even if they are not what you want them to be in your heart, or if they are imperfect, that is an unchangeable fact.”

“I do not want them” Meng Xueran tentatively reached out to hold his hand, his voice full of longing. “I want to be family with Father and General Mei.”

Mei Jinshu rubbed the boy’s head as if he were a puppy and said sleepily, “Go to sleep. Make your choice when you turn sixteen.”

The next day, at the imperial court.

The Changding General, Wu Jingfei, publicly mentioned that while at the Eastern Palace, the Prime Minister’s adopted son had insulted the First Prince. He asserted firmly that the Prime Minister was incapable of teaching his son and was acting willfully.

Mei Jinshu let out a cold snort. He turned to face Wu Jingfei directly and questioned, “Setting aside whether I have raised my son to be willful, the First Prince nearly drowned my adopted son that day and claimed it was merely a joke. May I ask Your Majesty and the General, does such an act count as a joke?”

“How presumptuous!” Emperor Meng Junxuan was naturally enraged to hear that his two sons had nearly killed each other.

He had personally kept Meng Xueran confined in the Jingying Pavilion for nine years. During those nine years, Meng Xueran had been law-abiding and caused no trouble. He was certainly not the willful and undisciplined child Wu Jingfei described.

The Emperor understood this well.

However, because one side was the legitimate First Prince, he could not show too much favoritism toward Meng Xueran, the Prime Minister’s adopted son. He could only suppress his anger and handle the matter calmly.

Yet, the more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Wu Jingfei, the brother of Noble Consort Wu, was being far too biased toward the First Prince and no longer understood the need for discretion.

Meng Junxuan spoke, “The First Prince’s behavior was overbearing and showed a disregard for human life. He shall reflect on his actions in seclusion for three months. Noble Consort Wu has failed in her duty to educate her son; she is grounded for one month and her stipend is halved for half a year.”

“Does the General have any objections?”

“I have no objections!” Wu Jingfei lowered his head, concealing his sharp edge. He did not understand why the Emperor would favor an outsider, but he felt the invisible pressure of the suppression in those words.

It seemed he could no longer help the First Prince in the open; they could only fight in the shadows.

As they left the court, Mei Jinshu was walking ahead when his hem was suddenly stepped on upon the stairs. He turned to see Wu Jingfei feigning an apology. Feeling annoyed, Mei Jinshu gave him a blatant eye-roll.

Wu Jingfei said, “As a military man, I was reckless. Surely the Prime Minister does not mind?”

“Hmph. Not all military men are reckless.” Mei Jinshu took the opportunity to insult him as much as possible, his tongue as sharp as could be. “Do you think having brute strength entitles you to be held in high regard? I have many mirrors at home; shall I send you a few so you can look at yourself?”

“You!” Wu Jingfei pointed at him in a rage. “What does having a quick tongue prove? You should go back and properly raise that adopted son of unknown origin. Perhaps he was born of some secret affair with a woman.”

“Tsk. I did not realize the Prime Minister, usually so reserved and dignified, was so romantic in private.”

“But a man should be responsible. Even if he is your biological son, no one would care.”

“Heh, do not trouble yourself.” Mei Jinshu said with disdain, “If the General thinks I only have a quick tongue, you are mistaken. When dealing with certain scoundrels, I also know a bit of martial arts.”

Wu Jingfei said, “Tsk. Why do we not see General Mei today?”

Mei Jinshu strode forward to put distance between them, muttering under his breath, “A toad lusting after swan meat. You are not worthy!”

If Wu Jingfei had not drugged the wine at a banquet back then, hoping to defile his sister and seize control of the Mei family army, she would not have had that accidental night with the Emperor and given birth to the Princess.

This bastard still did not realize how much trouble he had caused and was still thinking of eating swan meat. Mei Jinshu vowed to fight the Wu clan to the end in this life to avenge his sister!

Ye Ting picked him up to return to the residence. Along the way, Mei Jinshu considered his plans for Meng Xueran.

The boy was of royal blood, after all; he could not let him go to waste.

At nine years old, much could still be changed. Perhaps, he should let the boy interact more with girls. If he grew up to be straight, it would be a cause for celebration!

In the garden of the residence, Mei Xianxue was enthusiastically teaching Meng Xueran martial arts and swordplay. Mei Shiyi was also there, and the three of them were practicing happily together.

“A-Jiu, learn more from Shiyi. You must cultivate your internal breath and keep your horse stance steady.”

“General Mei, can you teach me martial arts every day?”

“If nothing unexpected happens, I can teach you for a few years.”

“Thank you, General Mei! I will definitely practice hard!”

Mei Jinshu stood under the corridor watching for a long time. Even if he could not say he liked the boy, he could not help but feel some pity. In terms of natural talent, Meng Xueran was not inferior to Meng Changqi; in fact, he would be even more outstanding after some refinement.

Unfortunately, he was born burdened with too much, a threat to the succession and a potential cause of chaos. Such a variable was never permitted in an imperial family. They would rather kill an innocent by mistake than let a threat escape.

One could only blame his poor luck for being the second of the twins. Had he been born to an ordinary consort, he might have been able to wait for his moment. But since his mother was the Empress, all such hopes were completely severed.

Forget it, forget it.

In this life, the boy was just cannon fodder; perhaps he would not be able to cause much trouble. Mei Jinshu should worry more about his own role as a villain and how he would eventually make his escape.

“Ye Ting, have someone send a pot of tea over.”

“Right away.” Ye Ting personally brought the brewed tea and poured a cup for everyone.

Meng Xueran took a large gulp of tea. Seeing Ye Ting, he knew Mei Jinshu must be nearby. Spotting a silhouette, he dropped his cup and rushed over.

He still cared deeply. Although Mei Jinshu was indifferent to him and never showed a kind face, whenever the man returned from the court, he would always wait at a distance to catch a glimpse of him.

“Father, you are back?”

“Yes.” Mei Jinshu asked him, “Do you like practicing martial arts?”

Meng Xueran nodded. “I want to be qualified to stand by Father’s side.”

Mei Jinshu said, “Follow me.”

Meng Xueran followed him to the study. Watching the man sit at the desk, he could not help but daydream. Mei Jinshu told him to come forward, so he moved closer. He told him to come to the desk, and he stood obediently in front of it.

Mei Jinshu threw a book at him and told him to open it.

“This is?” Meng Xueran picked up the book. It was titled “The Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars”. He was confused. “Why do I have to read this? I, I will be filial to Father. I do not want to read this. Can I learn something else, like horse riding or archery?”

Mei Jinshu said, “Who asked you to be filial to me? I want you to remember your filial duties and learn to respect your elders and care for the young.”

“Come, write a few words for me to see.”

“What should I write?”

“Anything.”

So, Meng Xueran took up the pen and paper and began to write very seriously: “Father is dignified and has peerless, refined features. He is accomplished in both literary and martial arts, eloquent and persuasive, yet rarely smiles”

After Mei Jinshu finished reading, he crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it at the boy’s head. “Excellent evaluation. Tomorrow, get yourself to the academy.”

The next day, Mei Shiyi held the academy enrollment papers and took Meng Xueran to the school. He had heard it was the best academy in the capital.

Meng Xueran thought his father was still very good to him. But he never imagined it would be a girls’ academy.

Why!

This was revenge! It must be revenge!

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