Attending Court

Could Jiang Nuan admit she was unhappy? Of course not, so she could only force a smile.

"Father, you must have seen wrong. How am I unhappy?"

Then she wept rivers of tears inside.

[Sob, sob, Guagua, didn't you say there was absolutely no way anyone could find the hidden chamber? My silver! Boohoo~]

Jiang Yunsheng seemed to have discovered the joy of teasing a child. Suddenly, he understood why some ministers loved teasing their children at home.

He scooped Jiang Nuan up and bounced her twice in his arms.

She still felt too light, but there was no rushing something like this. He had already instructed the Imperial Physician to arrange the diet best suited to Jiang Nuan.

After a dizzying whirl, Jiang Nuan felt as though she had grown quite a bit taller. Looking again, she realized her lousy father had picked her up.

This was the first time Jiang Nuan had ever been so close to her lousy father.

Unable to resist, Jiang Nuan began studying Jiang Yunsheng's face in earnest.

Her lousy father was only in his thirties, without a single wrinkle on his face. His face had smooth contours and sharply defined angles, while his tightly pressed thin lips exuded a hint of pressure. When he looked at Jiang Nuan, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and that sense of distance vanished without a trace.

[Oh my heavens, was my lousy father this handsome?]

Stars instantly sparkled in Jiang Nuan's eyes. That close-range blast of beauty nearly made her forget that her silver had flown away like a cooked duck escaping her plate.

She had always known she was a bit of a sucker for good looks. After seeing the consorts in her lousy father's harem, she had decided that trait must be hereditary.

[But judging by how I'll look in the future, I take after Mother more. Still, they're both good-looking, so either one works for me. Hehehe!]

[Of course! Host, you'll definitely be the greatest beauty in Great Xia!]

Guagua showered her with extravagant praise without the slightest qualm.

[Oh, hardly! I'm sure you'll be the most amazing system someday too, Guagua!]

Human and system began exchanging professional flattery.

Just then, Eunuch Wang asked, "Your Majesty, should all these things be placed in the privy treasury?"

Jiang Yunsheng nodded, then thought it over. That did seem a little excessive.

So he had Eunuch Wang take out some gold, fill two palm-sized pouches, and place them in Jiang Nuan's arms.

"Here. These are yours."

Jiang Nuan had thought she would lose every last bit of her investment, but one glance at the pouches in her arms revived her spirits.

[Ooh, did my lousy father suddenly grow a conscience? For the gold's sake, I won't curse you in my head for the next two days—no, three.]

Seeing that Jiang Nuan was happy, Guagua refrained from mentioning that all of it should have been hers in the first place.

Jiang Yunsheng looked at Jiang Nuan with an indulgent smile. He felt that ever since he had begun hearing her thoughts, he smiled more often.

Eunuch Wang thought, It's been so long since I've seen His Majesty smile this happily.

Luckily, Jiang Nuan did not hear that thought, or she would definitely have burst out laughing.

Once the treasure had been dealt with, Jiang Nuan yawned against Jiang Yunsheng's chest.

Ever since she had transmigrated back, there had been no nightlife or phone, so she went to bed early every evening.

She had been sleepy for some time tonight, but the thought of the treasure had kept her hanging on.

Now that everything was settled, she could no longer resist her drowsiness.

Before long, her eyelids began battling each other, and then she fell straight asleep.

Looking at Jiang Nuan's sleeping face, Jiang Yunsheng felt something gently touch the softest part of his heart.

There was practically no familial affection within the imperial family, and what little existed was scarce.

His other sons and daughters acted like timid quails whenever they saw him, mostly feeling reverence and fear. None were like Jiang Nuan, who even dared curse him in her head.

He found it quite novel.

"Off we go. Time to carry my little princess to bed."

With that, he strode toward Jiang Nuan's bedroom.

After gently placing Jiang Nuan on the bed, he watched her for a while, leaving only once he was certain she was sound asleep.

Jiang Nuan slept very peacefully, except that in her dreams, a figure dressed in bright yellow dragon robes told her she would have to attend court from now on.

She was furious. Working nine to nine, six days a week in the modern world had been bad enough. How could she still not escape the fate of going to work after transmigrating back and becoming a ten-year-old child?

She decided to ignore him and keep sleeping.

But she had barely gone back to sleep when a palace maid came to wake her and tell her to attend court.

"What?! Attend court?!"

[Wasn't that a dream last night? Guagua~]

Full of questions, Jiang Nuan immediately asked Guagua in her mind.

[It wasn't a dream, Host. You fell asleep right in your lousy father's arms last night, and then he told you about it. You were already half out of it by then, though.]

Guagua answered honestly.

[But why? What does he want me there for? To be a mascot? What time is it even?]

Jiang Nuan was quite curious about attending court, since she had never experienced it, but wasn't this far too early?

If she did not get enough sleep, she would never grow tall!

However much she resisted, it was useless. She still had to obediently get up.

By the time she was ready, Jiang Yunsheng arrived to pick her up.

The first time was awkward, the second familiar. Jiang Yunsheng deftly lifted Jiang Nuan and settled her in the crook of his arm.

Jiang Nuan had not slept well the night before, so she was delighted to have a human cushion and went straight back to sleep without a care.

Even when they arrived at court, she was still half asleep.

Only after the assembled ministers had paid their respects did she wake properly.

Jiang Yunsheng had arranged a little stool especially for Jiang Nuan beside his Dragon Throne.

Once he saw she was awake, he set her down on it.

The ministers below sensed something was amiss, and when they looked up, they saw this scene.

The faces of several hidebound ministers darkened on the spot.

Jiang Yunsheng had anticipated this. Naturally, he had his reasons for bringing Jiang Nuan to court despite so many objections.

According to Jiang Nuan's thoughts, Great Xia had fallen just one year after his death. What, then, of these ministers of his?

Even if he had chosen a useless fool to take the throne after deposing the crown prince, these ministers should have been able to keep the situation stable—even with a dog on the throne—provided there was nothing wrong with them. There had to be problems at court that he knew nothing about.

That was why he had brought Jiang Nuan to court. He hoped her thoughts might reveal something.

"Present your memorials if you have matters to report. Otherwise, court is dismissed!"

Eunuch Wang spoke in his shrill voice.

At those words, the people below could no longer remain still.

They exchanged glances, pondering how to speak up.

Only three of them understood what was going on.

Those three were, naturally, the ministers who had discussed state affairs in the Hall of Diligent Governance last time.

Although the raids by the Hu People had yet to happen, and they could not be certain whether Jiang Nuan's thoughts were accurate, paying deliberate attention had still allowed them to spot a few spider's threads and horse tracks.

They already believed eighty percent of what Jiang Nuan's thoughts revealed.

Though they also disapproved of Jiang Nuan attending court, what did that matter compared with affairs of state?

So when members of their factions shot them meaningful looks, asking what they should do, they simply ignored them.

In the end, a minor official of the Subordinate Sixth Rank stepped forward.