Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1171 - 167: Preparing to Return to Swamp Prefecture

Inside Kunde Hall, the Emperor and Lady Liang were sharing a meal.

"Right now, my youngest son and his wife are likely in the midst of their wedding ceremony." Though the Prince Mansion was not far from the Imperial Palace, faint sounds of celebration and festivity could be heard emanating from it.

Lady Liang, having calculated the time, spoke softly, "The ceremony should have concluded by now; Little Ten is probably being pressured to drink by the guests."

Abruptly, the Emperor extended his hand and clasped Lady Liang’s, his face etched with guilt. "Xiao Xiao, I apologize. I cannot allow you to receive the formal bows from Little Ten and his bride."

Lady Liang returned the clasp of the Emperor’s hand, offering him a gentle smile. "Aren’t they coming to the palace to pay their respects to me tomorrow?"

"It is still not quite the same," the Emperor replied. He had always harbored feelings of remorse towards Lady Liang and their son.

"Your Majesty, if I may speak with a touch of disrespect, even if I were the Empress, I would still be unable to visit Prince Han’s Mansion to receive their bows." Lady Liang lightly patted the Emperor’s hand. "Besides, you are in the same position as I am; we are in the same boat. Neither of us should blame the other or feel guilty."

Lady Liang’s words amused the Emperor, who reached out and pulled her onto his lap.

"Sometimes, I ponder if we had been commoners; our family would likely be living quite happily."

Lady Liang reached out and playfully pinched the Emperor’s face, laughing aloud. "My Emperor, if you had been an ordinary person, you and I would never have met. I would not have entered the palace, and we would not be together."

"That is true." The Emperor buried his face in Lady Liang’s neck, nuzzling her playfully. "It seems there are certain advantages to me being the Emperor."

Lady Liang raised her hand and gently stroked the back of the Emperor’s head. "Is your heart feeling somewhat heavy because your son is getting married? Do you feel as though he is drifting further away from you?"

The Emperor responded with a muffled voice, "Hmm. I always thought that little rascal was just a child. Suddenly he is married, and I realize he has grown into a man. I feel both happy and a little sad."

Lady Liang teased, "You have clearly married off a son, yet it seems you are giving away a daughter." She observed that the Emperor's mood mirrored that of someone marrying off a daughter.

"I always feel like that little rascal has been taken away."

Lady Liang could not help but erupt into laughter.

The Emperor lifted his head, looking at Lady Liang with feigned discontent. "Xiao Xiao, you are making a fool of me."

Lady Liang cupped the Emperor’s face in both her hands, examining him from side to side. She said with genuine curiosity, "Emperor, I never realized you possessed such possessive feelings towards Yao Yao."

"He is my son..." The Emperor looked wronged. "Since childhood, he has never been close to me. He always thought I treated him poorly, always maintaining a distance from me everywhere..." The more the Emperor spoke, the more aggrieved he felt, his emotions intensifying until he became teary-eyed.

Seeing that the Emperor was on the verge of tears, Lady Liang quickly embraced him, offering comfort. After a considerable time, she managed to calm him down.

After concluding their evening meal, the two retired to the study, engaging in a game of chess while conversing.

"Little rascal is married now; he should be departing the capital soon." The Emperor inquired, "Are you willing to let him go? If you are not, I shall command him to remain here."

"I am unwilling, but I cannot keep him here." Lady Liang laughed. "I can see that Yao Yao is fond of Swamp Prefecture, and he still has many tasks to accomplish there."

"Do you truly not wish to keep the little rascal here?" In truth, the Emperor found it difficult to part with his youngest son.

"Emperor, even if you force him to stay, he will undoubtedly find a way to slip away." Lady Liang understood her son’s nature perfectly. "With his capabilities, if he resolves to sneak away, there is nothing you can do to stop him."

"The little rascal's abilities continue to grow." The Emperor remarked, a mix of pride and melancholy in his voice. "He has realized that I am making arrangements with my eighth son."

"If he had not realized, you would have called him foolish," Lady Liang stated. "Yao Yao is intelligent; he is capable of discerning many things, yet he simply pretends not to know."

"Who do you suppose the little rascal takes after? When I was his age, I did not possess nearly as many stratagems."

Lady Liang feigned innocence, looking up at him. "I also do not have so many tricks up my sleeve."

"The little rascal, along with my fourth and eighth sons..." The Emperor's brow furrowed slightly. "If the little rascal were to discover what I did to my eighth son, do you believe he would despise me?"

"You are his father; why would he despise you?" Lady Liang reassured the Emperor. "He will understand your actions."

"When do you think we will have the joy of holding a grandchild?" The Emperor abruptly shifted the topic of conversation.

Lady Liang was quite accustomed to the Emperor’s tendency to jump between subjects.

"Why, doesn’t the little rascal want children?" The Emperor already had many grandchildren, but he most anticipated grandchildren from his youngest son.

"He said women shouldn’t have children before the age of twenty, or they might face complications. He plans to wait until Si Yun turns twenty before considering having children."