The carriage curtains had been lowered, obscuring the interior and the old man's face.
Xiao Jinheng cupped his hands, hesitating for a long time before saying, "Your son, your son pays his respects to Father Emperor!~"
"Cough, cough!" A series of coughs erupted from within the carriage. After a moment, Emperor Cheng lifted the curtain, glancing at Xiao Jinheng. "You are not to use that form of address when we are outside!"
This brat, after so many years of training outside, hasn't changed at all...
Xiao Jinheng quickly cupped his hands again, "Son, son remembers!~"
"Come in, let朕 have a good look at you!" Emperor Cheng grinned.
Xiao Jinheng: "..."
Didn't you just say not to use that form of address? Yet you yourself immediately referred to yourself as '朕'. Father Emperor, you seem even more casual than your son!
As Xiao Jinheng climbed onto the carriage, Emperor Cheng, without a word, pulled him into his embrace and kissed him soundly twice. "Hahaha, my little crybaby, you have no idea how much朕 missed you. Look at you, all dusty and disheveled! Have you been eating properly?"
Xiao Jinheng: "..."
Oh dear, he's not a child anymore!
Can you stop kissing him the moment you see him, just like Imperial Sister?
"Father Emperor, Heng'er is grown up now. Please don't be like this!~" Xiao Jinheng pushed him away.
Emperor Cheng chuckled upon seeing this, "What? After so many years apart, you don't miss Father Emperor at all?"
This ungrateful brat, he's become so wild from being outside that he even dislikes his own father...
Xiao Jinheng said, "Your son misses Father Emperor and Mother Empress every moment. He only wishes to return to the capital soon and contribute his strength to the court and the country!~"
"Good, very good!" Emperor Cheng ruffled his hair. "Your having such thoughts proves that朕 didn't misjudge you back then. Your Mother Empress talks about you constantly. Oh, she misses you so much..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinheng asked, "When can your son return to the capital?"
Then he would abduct the little village girl with him and buy her many, many beautiful dresses.
Emperor Cheng pinched his pipe bowl and sighed softly, "The situation in court is unstable now, and the traitors and rebels have not been completely cleared. If you return now, wouldn't you be walking into a trap? Alas, wait a little longer. This old body of mine can still hold on for another ten to eight years. Once朕 has eliminated all those scoundrels, I will naturally bring you back to the capital..."
Xiao Jinheng's face flickered with disappointment, but inwardly, he was quite pleased.
For no other reason than to continue staying in Dashui Village with the little village girl, he was very happy.
"Alright, your son is willing to wait!~" Xiao Jinheng replied.
Emperor Cheng blew out a smoke ring and smiled, "That little girl is the one you mentioned in your letter, right? You have good taste, my boy. That girl will surely achieve great things when she grows up. You just watch, her capabilities are far beyond what you see..."
As soon as Xiao Jinheng heard his Father Emperor praising the little village girl, his face lit up like a blooming flower. "Yes, Father Emperor, the little monster, no, the little village girl is very capable. Moreover, she learns things without a teacher, possessing exceptional talent, and is lively and cheerful. The old Yun family dotes on her like a precious gem!~"
Most importantly, the little village girl can produce all sorts of strange and unusual items, each one advanced and peculiar, clearly not products of this era...
"Father Emperor, the little village girl has also cultivated potatoes. This crop is very high-yielding and easy to grow. You can promote its cultivation nationwide, which will greatly reduce the number of famine victims starving to death each year!"
Whenever he spoke of his Father Emperor, Xiao Jinheng would start praising Xiao Xitian with all his might, wishing he could reveal all her abilities in one go.
Emperor Cheng: "..."
Good heavens, we haven't seen each other for years, and now that we've reunited, you're endlessly praising someone else's daughter.
Alas, a grown son is hard to keep!
"Alright, alright!~" Emperor Cheng tapped his pipe bowl. "When the time comes, you can write down all of Yun girl's good qualities on paper, and朕 will see for myself..."
Judging by his demeanor, it seemed he wouldn't finish praising her even if he talked for a day and a night.
Xiao Jinheng's cheeks flushed slightly, and he suddenly ran out of things to say.
After a moment of thought, he asked, "Why has Father Emperor come to this wild land?"
He knew his Father Emperor rarely went incognito and usually stayed in the palace, reviewing memorials, tending to flowers, and playing with birds...
Why had he suddenly come here?
Emperor Cheng knocked the ash out of his pipe bowl and refilled it with tobacco. "What else could it be? The Chen Kingdom has fallen, and the Yan Kingdom is stirring restlessly, threatening the safety of our Liang Kingdom. How can朕 not come and see for myself?"
Mainly, after the fall of the Chen Kingdom, a large number of spies would flood into Liang...
Emperor Cheng couldn't rely solely on his ministers; he had to come and inspect personally to have a clear understanding.
Xiao Jinheng said, "Oh," and pointed to Emperor Cheng's foot. "Then how did Father Emperor sprain his foot?"
When the Emperor travels, even incognito, he is always accompanied by a large contingent of Imperial Guards and master martial artists...
How did they protect the Emperor?
Xiao Jinheng could sense that within this wilderness, many soldiers were lurking in the shadows. As soon as Father Emperor gave the order, they would charge out and annihilate those bandits without leaving a trace.
Emperor Cheng sighed, "I don't know where those mountain bandits came from. Even the Imperial Guards could barely deal with them. In the chaos, I sprained my foot. It's nothing serious; Yun girl has already applied medicine for me..."
Mentioning this matter, Emperor Cheng elaborated, "I heard that General Gu was in the Prefectural County looking for his relatives. I intended to find him to escort me, but that useless fellow actually got lost and hasn't arrived yet. When we return to the palace, we'll see how朕 deals with him!~"
The dignified General of Jingbei couldn't even properly escort him; his head was simply filled with water...
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinheng finally understood why General Gu had left in such a hurry.
So it was because Father Emperor was in trouble, and he was rushing to his aid.
But in the end, he hadn't figured it out.
"Father Emperor, your son encountered General Gu at the inn in the Prefectural County. He is looking for his sister this time!~" Xiao Jinheng murmured.
Emperor Cheng snorted, "Doesn't everyone in the capital and outside know that he's looking for his sister? But this person is so stubborn, too persistent. It's been so many years, and there's been no news of his sister. In朕's opinion, she must have died outside. It's all in vain to search for her!~"
Xiao Jinheng: "..."
How could it be in vain? They say siblings share a connection. If General Gu's sister were still alive, he would surely be able to sense it.
At this moment, Eunuch Zhao walked over and bowed, "Your Majesty, the meal is ready. Shall we dine now?"
Eunuch Zhao was the man with the full beard, and Xiao Jinheng almost didn't recognize him...
Emperor Cheng had difficulty walking, so he had to eat in the carriage. He instructed Eunuch Zhao, "Take some of the food to Yun girl and the others. Give them extra meat and such!~"
"Yes!"
After Eunuch Zhao left, Xiao Jinheng asked him, "Father Emperor, are you planning to return to the capital?"
His foot was already sprained, where else could he go?
Unexpectedly, Emperor Cheng directly replied, "No,朕 is going to Dashui Village to have a look!"
"Huh?"