Although Su Mianmian tried to struggle, the tyrannical Emperor's embrace was actually quite comfortable. It wasn't as soft as her mother's, but it was warm and smelled like sunshine.
"Consort Chun, have you chosen a name for the little princess?" the Emperor asked softly.
"I haven't had the time to name the child yet," Consort Chun replied respectfully.
The Emperor pinched Su Mianmian's little nose.
"Then I shall bestow a name upon her. Let it be Su Mianmian, Su Mianmian."
*Holy cow!* Su Mianmian stared at the tyrannical Emperor in dumbfounded shock. *Why is it the exact same name I chose for myself?*
Su Mianmian's dark eyes flickered. *It's just as she thought.*
Hearing her inner thoughts, the Emperor was also somewhat surprised. He and his daughter really were on the same wavelength.
Was this what they called a telepathic bond between father and daughter?
The realization that he could hear this little girl's thoughts while Consort Chun could not gave him a strange sense of satisfaction.
The Emperor immediately decided to stay and keep the mother and daughter company.
Consort Chun was genuinely drowsy and couldn't help letting out a yawn.
Instantly, Su Mianmian felt a pang of heartache for her.
*You jerk! My mother just gave birth and her body is still very weak, yet you're still making her keep you company for this long!*
The Emperor felt aggrieved at being scolded. *This brat,* he thought, *didn't I just want to stay with her a little longer?*
"Consort Chun, if you're tired, go ahead and sleep. I'll stay with the little princess for a bit," the Emperor said, looking at Consort Chun with a thoroughly gentle tone.
Consort Chun curtsied. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Then this concubine will go rest for a moment."
She would have loved to chat longer, but her body simply couldn't hold out, so she had no choice but to take her leave. Before she walked away, she didn't forget to cast a lingering, reluctant look at her baby girl.
Still, it was fine. Once the Emperor left shortly, she would be able to see her precious daughter the moment she woke up.
As soon as Consort Chun left, Su Mianmian couldn't help letting out a yawn of her own.
*Hurry up and leave, you big tyrant. I need to sleep, too.*
A newborn's body simply couldn't handle this.
*It's wonderful to be able to see my soft, sweet-smelling mother the moment I wake up. I couldn't care less about looking at you.*
The Emperor was so infuriated by her that his chest tightened. Wang Defa, standing off to the side, was startled by the sudden drop in air pressure.
What was wrong with His Majesty? His temper changed faster than the weather, and nobody had even provoked him.
Definitely wasn't his fault, Wang Defa nodded to himself.
The Emperor was probably just struggling with his own inner demons. A man's heart was as deep as the sea, but an emperor's heart was deeper still.
Fortunately, the Emperor couldn't hear Wang Defa's thoughts; otherwise, he would have been even angrier.
He had half a mind to swat Su Mianmian's little bottom, but seeing the child in his arms with her little mouth parted, rubbing her tiny eyes sleepily and smacking her lips as she dozed off obediently, his heart softened and he couldn't bring himself to do it.
It was truly bizarre.
Since when had his temper become so pleasant?
The Emperor was just about to stand up when a sudden flash of inspiration struck him.
*You don't want to look at me? Fine, then I'll make you look at me every single day until you're sick of it!*
Right after that, he picked up Su Mianmian and strode out of Yongshou Palace, feeling a vague, inexplicable sense of guilt.
"Inform Consort Chun that I am taking the little princess out for a while."
The palace maids all lowered their heads. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Wang Defa was so startled he almost lost control of his facial expressions.
What on earth was His Majesty doing? This was daylight robbery—kidnapping a child out in the open!
If they weren't father and daughter, he'd have to report him to the authorities and have him arrested.
Shaking this treasonous thought out of his head, Wang Defa took large strides to follow after him.
Su Mianmian was carried all the way to the Imperial Study. Perhaps because the surroundings were too unfamiliar, she woke up not long after.
The moment she opened her eyes, she was awed by the glittering, golden splendor before her.
*Wait a minute, where am I? Was I kidnapped?*
*With so much money, why would anyone resort to kidnapping a baby? Are these kidnappers out of their minds?*
Hearing her thoughts while he was reviewing memorials, the Emperor's mouth twitched slightly. "Bring the little princess over."
Wang Defa hurried to obey, stepping forward to take Su Mianmian.
By now, Su Mianmian realized she hadn't been kidnapped—the tyrannical Emperor had simply brought her to his workplace.
Was this supposed to be the ancient Imperial Study?
*...What is going on in your head? I was just born, and you're dragging me along to watch you work?!*
The Emperor coughed twice. *Who told you to look down on me?*
Father and daughter stared at neither blinking, neither willing to admit defeat.
It left Wang Defa in a state of utter anxiety. *Could His Majesty have fallen ill?*
*Why does he keep staring at the little princess like that?*
Outside, a eunuch's voice rang out right on cue. "Grand Academician Lin requests an audience."
Hearing that name, the Emperor couldn't help frowning. *Why is it always him again?*
Annoying as he was, he still had to see him. "Let him enter."
Following the eunuch's announcement, Grand Academician Lin stepped inside.
He was a man in his early twenties, dressed in court robes, with refined features and an extraordinary poise that easily won people over.
Lin Chengxu bowed with cupped hands. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Rise," the Emperor said impatiently. "Academician, what is it you want to say this time?"
Seeing little Su Mianmian, Lin Chengxu looked slightly surprised, though he kept his thoughts to himself.
"This minister still wishes to request that Your Majesty widely publish texts in various foreign languages, so that the common people may have the opportunity to acquire broader knowledge."
Hearing that instantly gave the Emperor a headache. *Publish my foot, it's just a waste of money.* Just as he was about to scold Grand Academician Lin, he heard his daughter let out an exclamation.
*This is that great, upright official who gets framed for having an illicit affair with my mother!*
*An upright official?* The Emperor sneered inwardly. *A stubborn blockhead who opposes me every single day—what kind of upright official could he possibly be?*
Su Mianmian fixed her tiny eyes earnestly on Lin Chengxu.
*This guy is no simple character. Beixuan State has been plagued by war for years, and domestic economic development is sluggish. Lord Lin wants to use this method to give domestic merchants a chance to learn foreign scripts, laying the groundwork for foreign trade and boosting the national economy.*
*And yet this tyrannical Emperor refused to listen to reason, chewed him out mercilessly, and—falling for slanderous gossip—even suspected him of having an illicit affair with my mother, eventually executing this brilliant, upright official!*
*He's a rare talent who passed all three imperial examinations at the very top, someone revered by half the scholars in the realm, and you just went and killed him?*
*No wonder later generations branded you a tyrant. After the male protagonist killed you, those very scholars praised him as heroic and extraordinary—serves you right.*
*If you refuse to listen to him now, the male protagonist will later discover his treatises, seize upon them completely, and govern the country into an era of prosperity and abundance.*
This man had also put forward many brilliant proposals, such as allowing women to study, go outside, engage in trade just like men, and even enter court as officials.
His ideology was so far ahead of his time that he hardly seemed like an ancient person at all.
The male protagonist had regarded him as a soulmate, and upon learning of his death, had felt immense regret, doing everything in his power to grant him the full dignity and honors he deserved posthumously.
Hearing these thoughts, the Emperor didn't even know how to direct his anger anymore. Glancing at Lin Chengxu, who was still kneeling on the floor, his voice softened a fraction.
"Rise, Academician. I agree."
"This minister requests—?"
*Huh?*
Lin Chengxu had been prepared to waste plenty more breath arguing, but suddenly hearing the Emperor agree left him utterly bewildered and at a loss for words.
"I understand what the Academician means. Aren't you simply trying to give the common people a chance to engage in foreign trade? However, merely studying foreign scripts is naturally not enough. I will suitably lower customs duties and increase merchants' incomes."
"That way, we can genuinely encourage merchants to conduct foreign trade."
*Huh???*
Hearing the tyrannical Emperor agree had already shocked Su Mianmian, but hearing him talk about lowering customs duties left her even more dumbfounded.
*How did this guy suddenly have a stroke of genius? Is this really the same tyrannical Emperor I know?*
Lin Chengxu was equally stunned, before quickly dropping to his knees once more.
"Your Majesty's foresight is profound, and this minister is filled with admiration. Having you on the throne is a blessing for the common people and a blessing for us officials."
Having his ego stroked so comfortably, the Emperor was uncharacteristically amiable toward him.
With a heavy burden finally lifted from his mind, Grand Academician Lin relaxed considerably.
"Your Majesty, who is this?"
He looked over at Su Mianmian, slightly astonished that the Emperor would actually bring a child into the Imperial Study.
"This is the sixth princess, born to Consort Chun," the Emperor introduced, in a surprisingly good mood.
Immediately afterward, he watched as Grand Academician Lin's eyes lit up with joy, stepping forward eagerly. "Might this minister take a look at the little princess?"
*That's my daughter, what are you getting so excited about?!*
The Emperor almost flew into a rage.
Then again, he couldn't really blame himself for being suspicious—who would believe him if he said nothing was going on?