Chapter 280 |
Chapter 280: Touching Father-Son Affection
“Dad, please have mercy, your son is begging you, just let me go to Donghai Commandery!”
Inside the palace, Wei Yu’s crying and wailing echoed both inside and outside the room.
Almost all the palace staff who heard this sound lowered their heads, not daring to show even a trace of a smile.
Wei Yu hugged his dad’s leg, sitting on the floor, smelling the aroma of the dishes on the table and wiping his mouth with drool, all the while crying sincerely.
It was already dinner time, and the imperial feast was laid out on the table.
If it were usual times during mealtime, Wei Yu would definitely sneak a meal.
But unfortunately, not now.
Wei Yu leaned against his dad’s leg, wailing pitifully, “Dad, your son is neither good at literature nor martial skills, he can’t do anything staying in the capital, only knows how to trouble you, look, you even have a few white hairs now!”
His hair was indeed graying, but that was from the exhaustion of dealing with state affairs every day!
It was an honor!
A symbol of his diligence and virtue as a wise ruler!
Wei Yu said, “Dad, I know you care about me. Your benevolent fatherly heart is something I see very clearly! Every time I see your love for me, my heart is deeply moved! Don’t believe me? Just look, isn’t my gaze full of admiration and respect for you?”
Emperor Wei paused with his chopsticks, lowered his head, and cast two small glances.
Below, Wei Yu looked up at his dad at a 45-degree angle. Seeing his dad look over, he blinked twice, full of innocence.
Emperor Wei: …
Emperor Wei said nothing, silently raised his head, and resumed picking up food to eat.
Wei Yu was dissatisfied. “Dad, ignoring my sincere feelings like this, don’t you know it causes a heavy blow to your son’s tender heart! I’m unhappy now.”
Emperor Wei just chuckled.
He glanced sidelong, “I’ve been making you happy for a month already, and you’re still not satisfied? I think you’re not unhappy, you just want me to be unhappy!”
Wah!
Such touching father-son affection.
Talking about father-son affection seemed to be a bust; the old man wasn’t buying it. Wei Yu pouted and decided to change tactic.
“Dad, aren’t you worried about Eldest Brother?”
Wei Yu looked at his dad seriously, “Eldest Brother’s first time leading troops into battle, even though he’s only a deputy general, this is still his first time! First expedition, don’t you miss him? Huh? He’s your eldest son! Your own flesh and blood!”
He had already picked up some meat and put it near his mouth, but his appetite was gone.
Emperor Wei silently put down his chopsticks, deciding to pick up another piece of meat.
“Eldest Brother doesn't have it easy. As your eldest son, he’s had to be careful about his words and actions since he was young, not only to avoid disappointing you but to set an example for us younger siblings. Eldest Brother growing into such a robust and imposing man is really have it easy. Even if you don’t feel distressed, I feel it just looking at him!”
Wei Yu lowered his head, shook it wistfully, “You weren’t there back then, didn’t see how Eldest Brother looked when he first arrived at Huzhou, his small face was so dark, you could tell he suffered a lot on the road! Ah, I didn’t dare ask Eldest Brother what happened because I was afraid I’d get heartbroken…”
Emperor Wei frowned, staring at the table full of dishes, lost in thought.
Should he eat the venison tendon next, or the braised shark fin next?
“The things on the road aside, they were not the hardest times. The real hardships started after Eldest Brother arrived at Donghai Commandery!”
Wei Yu leaned on his dad’s leg, counting on his fingers to enumerate what Eldest Brother encountered at Donghai Commandery.
“Donghai Commandery is not peaceful. When Cao Ji was there, Eldest Brother not only had to find ways to deal with him, but also had to deal with those heartless officials. After Cao Ji escaped, Eldest Brother had even more matters: gathering evidence to arrest people, reorganizing the army, and hunting down the endlessly appearing Japanese pirates…”
After tasting a sip of the vegetarian soup, Emperor Wei felt today’s soup was somewhat bland.
“Dad, you see how hard Eldest Brother is on his own at Donghai Commandery, you…”
Wei Yu suddenly squeezed out a few tears as he spoke. He sniffled, looked up, then stopped abruptly.
“What are you doing?”
Wei Yu looked up at his dad expressionlessly, the corner of his eye with that little tear, somehow looking comical.
Emperor Wei, who was wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, leisurely glanced at him and said, “Don’t you see I’ve finished my meal?”
Wei Yu: …
He got angry.
[I have been talking all this time and you didn’t listen to a word?]
And yet you still have the mood to eat here!!!
Annoying!
Emperor Wei put down the handkerchief, glanced at him, twitched his leg, “Let go of my leg, speak properly.”
Wei Yu sulkily let go.
With a full belly, Emperor Wei got up and prepared to go to the inner chamber.
As soon as his dad left, he saw the palace attendants come in to clear the dishes. Wei Yu immediately stood up to stop them, “Wait, don’t clear away yet! You all go out first, this king hasn’t finished eating.”
After crying for a while, he was hungry.
His dad’s meals were so good, and many dishes were untouched; Wei Yu, being a frugal and thrifty good child, would never do anything to waste food!
“Quick, Eunuch Li, bring me a bowl, this dish, that dish, and this dish, all give me some! Oh, and that soup, smells amazing, serve me a bowl, much obliged…”
Emperor Wei, halfway along, was speechless:
Hmph, little rascal.
–
After eating his fill, Wei Yu was satisfied.
He patted his belly and went to find his dad, seeing him sitting cross-legged on the couch reading a book. Wei Yu also sat down nearby.
“Ah—comfortable.”
Leaning against the soft pillow on the couch, Wei Yu lazily tilted his body, looking in stark contrast to his dad.
Emperor Wei calmly turned the page of his book.
Father and son just sat peacefully on the couch without a word.
After a while, Wei Yu suddenly asked, “You really don’t want me to go to Donghai Commandery?”
Emperor Wei calmly replied, “What can you do if you go?”
Those words.
Wei Yu thought seriously for a few seconds, finally nodded, “Good question… your son can’t think of anything.”
Emperor Wei was amused.
Putting down the book, Emperor Wei turned to look at him, “You won’t be going to Donghai Commandery, I’ll send someone else to deliver the cannon cars. You stay obediently and attend court for me. After the spring imperial examination, I have other matters to instruct you on.”
“Other matters?!”
Wei Yu suddenly sat up, “What other matters? How come I don’t know? Dad, what do you want me to do again!”
Emperor Wei frowned, “Have you forgotten the Merchants’ Alliance you set up yourself?”
Wei Yu was stunned, “The Merchants’ Alliance? What about it? Isn’t the Merchants’ Alliance fine?”
Whenever this topic came up, something was bound to happen. Wei Yu thought carefully, then asked uncertainly, “You’re not talking about going to Great Liang for business, are you?”
Speaking of Great Liang, Wei Yu’s heart stirred a little because he quite wanted to go and see Great Liang.
But this was just a thought for now, because given his current status, going to Great Liang was definitely unrealistic.
A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. Just looking at how Great Liang is sharpening its knives now, if he went and was discovered, there would definitely be no escape from being caught.
If you want to travel abroad, at least choose somewhere with a high safety factor, right?