A Dream of Spring

A Dream of Spring

Copywriting:

With the late emperor's unexpected passing, the prince and prime minister, besides worrying about state affairs, also had to take time to be the fathers of the infant emperor.

As the prince continued, he found himself increasingly finding this nemesis more and more pleasing to the eye.

Chapter 1

Emperor Wen, the restorer of the Great Chu, died young, leaving behind only a posthumous son. His mother, Consort Duan, died in childbirth, leaving the country in turmoil due to the young emperor. Fortunately, the late emperor had left a will stipulating that if Consort Duan gave birth to a prince, Prince Meng Chifeng and Prime Minister Duan Tingzhen would jointly govern until the new emperor came of age. Both men were loyal to the Great Chu and did not disappoint the late emperor's expectations. Nearly seven years later, the Great Chu had grown increasingly powerful, surpassing even the strength of the late emperor's reign.

It was March, a time of blooming flowers and gentle breezes, with trees sprouting new buds. In the Great Chu Imperial Palace, the doors and windows of Chongwen Pavilion were wide open, letting in the bright spring sunshine, which also imbued the tables and chairs with vibrant life.

The young emperor, with a pained expression, stood beside a young man and stammered as he recited: "Near and far are united, leading guests to return to the king, the phoenix sings in the bamboo, black... black..."

The young man said, "White Horse Restaurant."

The five-year-old emperor finally couldn't hold back any longer and admitted his mistake with a long face: "Master, I shouldn't have skipped my homework. I know I was wrong."

However, the young man was not buying it. The young emperor had been well aware of the principle of admitting mistakes but never repenting since he could speak. If he let him off the hook today, he would dare to do even more tomorrow. Therefore, his expression did not change at all, and he said indifferently, "Since you haven't done your homework, then put out your hand."

"Let's not punish him today, since the Imperial Uncle is coming back." He said with a grin, "It wouldn't be good if the Imperial Uncle saw us. You can punish him quietly when he's not looking."

The young man smiled and said, "Does Your Majesty consider your ministers to be fools?"

Seeing that he couldn't avoid it, he reluctantly took his hand out from behind his back and let the young man tap it three times with the ruler. Then, after looking at the young man's face and secretly assessing the situation, he felt that the young man was not angry, so he looked at him expectantly and said, "Xun'er's hand hurts."

The young man finally couldn't help but laugh, bent down and hugged the little emperor in his arms, sighing, "You..."

The five-year-old child pressed his face against the young man's chest and chuckled secretly.

This young man was none other than Duan Tingzhen, the Prime Minister of the Great Chu Kingdom.

Although Duan Tingzhen was from a prominent family, his status was somewhat different from that of other members of the Duan family. This was because a wandering Taoist priest had predicted in his childhood that he had no affinity with the Duan family.

The Duan family initially didn't believe it, but a few days later, he developed a high fever, so they had no choice but to bring the Taoist priest back. The priest patted him on the forehead, and the fever subsided.

From then on, although his parents loved him dearly, something was still missing between them.

Duan Tingzhen didn't think much of it. After growing up, he followed his family's wishes and entered politics. He was even given the task of assisting a child. Unfortunately, he had no interest in plotting to usurp the throne, so he focused on raising the young emperor.

Over the years, his education has begun to show results, and the young emperor has now displayed qualities that far surpass those of his peers. The child is intelligent and lovable, and Duan Tingzhen, feeling sorry for him having lost his parents at birth, treats him with a fatherly affection, and the young emperor is extremely dependent on him.

As the trusted confidant of the late emperor, entrusted with the care of the young emperor, he possessed the ability and courage to live up to the emperor's high expectations. Despite his young age, his methods were extremely skillful. The only one who could rival him was Meng Chifeng, the Prince of Jin appointed by Emperor Wen.

At first, Duan Tingzhen thought that this man was both arrogant and unruly, and that if he were given power, it would be like inviting a wolf into the house. However, to everyone's surprise, after Meng Chifeng seized military power with swift and decisive measures, he did not have any rebellious intentions.

Although the two men had different political views, they both cared about the Great Chu. Therefore, for more than six years, Meng Chifeng guarded the border while Duan Tingzhen controlled the overall situation in the capital, and the two lived in peace.

Last winter solstice, there was a change in the northern frontier, and the Prince of Jin demonstrated his military talent for the first time, achieving a great victory over the northern barbarians.

Now that the border is finally at peace, the Prince of Jin has set off to return to the capital, and the army will return to the city today.

"Your Majesty, the Prince has arrived at the palace gate. Would you like to see him?" The old eunuch Jin Bao greeted him with a smile.

"Quickly, quickly announce it!" The young emperor nestled in the prime minister's arms, gazing longingly into the distance as if that person would be there any minute.

Duan Tingzhen was still holding the little emperor and showed no intention of putting him down. The little emperor couldn't resist and jumped out of his arms, staring longingly at the doorway. But Duan Tingzhen felt a pang of disappointment and could only stand beside the child, waiting for the person to come in.

When Meng Chifeng arrived, he was wearing silver armor. His demeanor was dignified, but he also exuded a murderous aura. He strode in and bowed to the young emperor, saying, "Your subject Meng Chifeng greets Your Majesty."

To avoid suspicion, Duan Tingzhen took a half step back to the side, squinting at him with an inscrutable expression. After Meng Chifeng finished his greetings and stood up, he stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, "Your Highness."

Meng Chifeng politely returned the greeting: "Prime Minister Duan".

The young emperor, however, was too lazy to pay attention to the silent undercurrents between the adults. He ran forward a few steps and hugged Meng Chifeng's waist, saying in a childish voice, "Uncle, have you missed Xun'er? Xun'er misses Uncle so much."

Meng Chifeng's expression softened considerably. He picked him up and weighed him in his arms, saying, "You've gained weight."

The little emperor immediately frowned, as if he were extremely unhappy. But when his uncle lifted him high, he couldn't help but giggle.

The smile reached Duan Tingzhen's ears and made him feel a little sour. He stepped forward and said, "Your Highness must be tired from your journey. Your Majesty, please don't make a fuss. Let Your Highness rest for a while before you come back to talk to me, okay?"

Hearing this, the young emperor reluctantly got out of his uncle's arms and whispered, "How about I rest in the palace for a while and have lunch with Xun'er at noon?"

Meng Chifeng smiled and readily agreed.

But then the young emperor said, "Master, why don't you stay for lunch too?"

Although he wasn't particularly interested, he couldn't bear to refuse the young emperor's kindness, so he reluctantly agreed. Ultimately, the one who was most upset about the discord between the two was the young emperor.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He bowed and saw the young emperor about to jump for joy, and couldn't help but smile slightly. He was young and already held a high position, and he never wanted to be looked down upon, so he rarely smiled. This occasional smile, however, revealed a captivating charm that left people somewhat mesmerized.

Tsk.

Meng Chifeng thought to himself, "It's such a waste that I've kept such a beauty hidden by my side all these years without even noticing her."

Since he was going to stay in the palace, he naturally had to freshen up and wash himself to remove the dust and grime. When he came out, carrying a faint scent of pomelo leaves, the young emperor was dozing off in Duan Tingzhen's arms.

Logically speaking, a child who is born into the imperial family should be mature beyond his years and very proper. However, the young emperor happened to have two elders who treated him like their own son, so he really grew up to be a child. He would often act spoiled and demand kisses and hugs, and was even more pampered than children from ordinary families.

Duan Tingzhen placed him on the soft couch, took the thin fleece blanket from Jin Bao, and covered him with it. Then he gestured for Meng Chifeng to sit down in the quiet room next door and asked, "Would Your Highness be willing to play a game of chess with me?"

Meng Chifeng: "It is something I could never have asked for."

Jin Bao, who was serving nearby, hurriedly had someone set up the chessboard. Meng Chifeng casually picked up a jar of chess pieces, glanced at them, and smiled: "White pieces, Duan Xiang, please go first."

Duan Tingzhen remain

……