Chapter 166 - 144: The Prodigy Child
’A miscalculation.’
’I forgot that’s what a three-month-old fetus looks like.’
’If it had been any earlier, it might have just been a pool of tissue flowing silently on the ground.’
Jiang Xian hadn’t given up. "Did Your Majesty not feel any sense of familiarity toward that red monster?"
"Familiarity? That would be horrifying! Xian’er, please, say no more. I have never seen such a creature in my life. It looked like a mouse that had been skinned alive but hadn’t died yet. I’m even considering whether I should ask a Shaman to perform an exorcism."
The ancients had no clear understanding of fetal development.
Thus, they simply believed that a baby in its mother’s womb grew from a tiny, thumb-sized person, rather than from an egg to an embryo and then a fully formed fetus. Even if a three-month-old fetus were to visit them in a dream, it should be a fair and adorable little boy or girl.
It never even occurred to Xie Che that the thing could be his own child.
If a Shaman did come and point this out, he would probably be beaten with a plank by the furious Emperor. ’To say my child is a red-skinned monster—who are you insulting? Such talk of spirits and demons is nothing but ignorant superstition!’
"Does Your Majesty really believe in such things?"
Jiang Xian was curious.
Revering gods and buddhas was a central tenet in Yan Chi, but whether one truly believed it in their heart was another matter. Even though she had transmigrated, she didn’t believe in ghosts or spirits. When walking at night, her only worries were encountering robbers or drunkards.
"I believe in what is beneficial to me."
Xie Che’s answer was characteristic of an Emperor. After speaking, he pulled her into his arms and led her to the bed. "Let’s not talk about this. I didn’t sleep well last night because of that dream. Come rest with me early today."
After they were under the covers, Jiang Xian looked up at him with her limpid, autumn-water eyes.
"Your Majesty, are we only resting?"
The next second, Xie Che pulled the covers over her head, hiding her. He sighed. "Stop teasing me! Your pregnancy weight gain is so clever—it’s all gone to the right places. It’s torture for me. I want to be here with you, but it’s so frustrating to hold back."
When had the Emperor ever suffered such an ordeal?
But Jiang Xian felt this was her duty and that she shouldn’t refuse.
She began to present her usual theory, but Xie Che lifted the covers a little to stare at her. "You don’t treat yourself as a person, but I treasure you and hold you in the highest regard. Don’t say such foolish things that demean yourself again. Don’t you always say I should start teaching the heir in your belly early? That I should teach him the principles from the sage books, teach him how to be a person and handle matters, and treat him like a child who understands things? Aren’t you afraid he’ll learn about the duties of the bedchamber, too?"
After saying this, Xie Che paused.
Following Jiang Xian’s line of thought, he found it even more unacceptable. "If it’s a Prince, learning a bit early might be appropriate. Consider it me teaching by example! But what if it’s a Princess? Wouldn’t that be terribly improper? Until your confinement period is over, don’t even think about it. However, I can certainly hold you more, kiss you more, and show our child how much his parents love each other."
With that, Xie Che lowered his head and kissed the crown of her head.
"Go to sleep. Don’t be afraid. You are still my Xian’er, even if you don’t serve me in bed."
’No work to be done, salary paid in full, position secure, and a promotion after the leave is over.’
’Every word that came from the Emperor’s mouth was more wonderful than the last.’
Jiang Xian hummed softly, buried her head in his chest, and feigned sleep while negotiating with her system. "Since it’s all in a dream anyway, can you give my baby a cute appearance? How about this: model him after what he’ll look like when he’s about three years old."
System: "That will cost extra."
Jiang Xian thought that was acceptable. After all, palace struggles involved one’s children. If she raised her child well now and maxed out his affection for her early, it would all pay off in the future. She was just making an early investment.
Besides, Jiang Xian had her own selfish reasons.
She had never experienced what it felt like to be loved by parents, to have every step of her path paved for her. She didn’t want her own child to suffer what she had. ’If you just think, "Well, I got through it just fine," then you have no business having children and bringing harm to them.’
※
That night, Xie Che dreamed of a small child who only came up to his thigh.
He was dressed in a black and gold palace dress, his hair tied in an exquisite topknot. He was squatting on the ground, cupping his cheeks with a woeful expression.
Upon seeing Xie Che, he didn’t rise to bow.
For the Emperor, who was accustomed to being kneeled to, this was quite a novel experience.
"Who are you? Why do you not kneel upon seeing me?" Xie Che asked.
"Mother Concubine hasn’t taught me the Palace Rules and etiquette yet," the little milk bun said, then grew wary. "Who are you? Don’t you tell my Mother Concubine that I need to learn etiquette. I can’t learn it all!"
Hearing the term "Mother Concubine," Xie Che understood at once. This was the child in Xian’er’s womb!
Two thoughts flashed through his mind.
’One: Ah, so it’s a boy. The Mother Empress and the court will nag me less now. Excellent.’
’Two: Why am I dreaming of my son?’
If it were true that one dreams at night of what one thinks of by day, then he should be having a steamy dream about him and Xian’er.
The reason he didn’t doubt the boy’s identity was that the little one looked almost identical to how he himself had looked as a child—a miniature version of him.
Xie Che walked over and sat down cross-legged.
He revealed his identity. "I am your Father Emperor. Before we are father and son, we are sovereign and subject. You must bow upon seeing me."
The little cub looked at him in confusion.
Scientifically speaking, at this stage, he should only have biological instincts and lack the capacity for thought. It was only through the system’s nurturing that he had evolved ahead of all other humans and gained a certain level of cognitive ability.
But on the whole, he was not as sensible as a six-year-old child.
"You’re my father?"
Xie Che nodded. "You should call me Father Emperor."
But the little milk dumpling before him simply stared for a moment with watery eyes, then raised his chubby, lotus-root-like arms. "Father Emperor, carry me."
Faced with a child who showed no fear of him, Xie Che was at a loss for words.
He had no experience dealing with children. The late Emperor had never been this close to him, either.
Seeing Xie Che make no move, the little one’s eyes began to mist over.
’...It seems Father Emperor doesn’t like me very much?’
He sniffled, took the initiative to waddle forward on his short little legs, and THUD, draped both arms over Xie Che’s shoulders, pleading in a milky voice, "Carry me."
Children have a natural desire for their parents’ approval.
A young child’s love for their parents is the only kind that is truly unconditional—a deep love and reliance with no strings attached.
That was why, even though his Mother Concubine did nothing but constantly drill knowledge into him, and he didn’t particularly enjoy studying, he accepted it all without complaint, just hoping to see her smile. The umbilical cord had created the tightest bond between the two life forms. Even if his Mother Concubine didn’t say it aloud, the little cub could feel his mother’s constant anxiety.
If cooperating with his Mother Concubine could make her happy, he was more than willing.
But he also wanted to be held and coaxed.
He didn’t know why he could see his Father Emperor, but he figured he would just ask his Father Emperor for what his Mother Concubine didn’t give him.
"When I was your age, I wasn’t nearly this spoiled."
"Father Emperor, I’m only almost four months old."
"...In any case, since you are a boy, you ought to be strong and stand tall."
Despite his words, seeing the boy was about to cry, Xie Che had no choice but to indulge him and lift him into his arms. He unconsciously bounced the little one in his embrace. He was quite heavy. ’It seems he’ll be well-fed in the days to come.’
In that moment of embrace, the heir transformed from a mere symbol into a being of flesh and blood.
Although the hug felt unfamiliar, the little one still felt happiness from his father’s embrace. His round eyes crinkled in delight. "I like you so much, and I like being carried by you."
...
The last time this straight-as-an-arrow man had faced such an assault was from the child’s mother.
And he had to admit, he quite enjoyed it.
The cool, detached attitude he maintained in front of Jiang Xian—"I’ll provide all the money he needs, but don’t expect any love"—crumbled in an instant under the overwhelming, enthusiastic assault of the little milk bun.
But with Xian’er’s example in mind, Xie Che couldn’t help but ask warily, "You say you like me, but you’re not just saying that, are you? Do you really like me, or do you want me to make you a Prince, or even the Emperor?"
Since he figured it was just a dream, he didn’t mince his words.
’What could a baby possibly understand, anyway?’
The little one was dizzy from the adult’s logic, and his small, soft body snuggled closer into his father’s arms. "What’s a Prince and an Emperor? I want to be Father Emperor’s baby. I want Father Emperor to love his baby."
"..."
This sham of a Father Emperor couldn’t take it anymore.
Xie Che struggled to maintain his cool persona. "You don’t even know what a Prince or an Emperor is? Then what do you know?"
The little one lowered his head in thought. "I... I can recite the *Three Character Classic*, the *Thousand Character Classic*, and the *Hundred Family Surnames*. I’ve also pretty much finished learning the *Young Learners’ Treasury* and the *Expanded Collection of Wise Sayings*."
Xie Che: ?
’This child prodigy is my son?’