Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne-Chapter 171 - 145: Ignorance Is Fearless

Liang Zhaoyi then realized that she had lost her composure earlier. She couldn’t cover it up now, so she had to admit, "I’ve heard of it."

Zhao Yao hurriedly asked, "Then do you know who the owner of the house is?"

Liang Zhaoyi replied with an unchanged expression, "I don’t know."

"Mother, do you really not know?" Zhao Yao was a bit skeptical, "Then how do you know about that house? It’s very secretive, and many people don’t even know it exists."

"I heard about it before I entered the palace. It’s rumored to be a haunted house, just like the Pei Mansion." Liang Zhaoyi said very calmly, "It’s said that anyone who goes near those two houses becomes unlucky."

Zhao Yao believed Liang Zhaoyi’s words, "It’s different from the Pei Mansion. It’s not a haunted house; it actually has a resident, a middle-aged man."

Liang Zhaoyi nearly lost control of her calm expression upon hearing this.

"Did you go into that house?"

"I did indeed, I had Tong Xi take me over the wall, and then I met a man in a wheelchair inside..." Zhao Yao hadn’t finished speaking when his ear was tugged by Liang Zhaoyi, causing him to plead in pain, "Mother, it hurts...ouch..."

"Who gave you the courage to enter that house?" Liang Zhaoyi was shocked by her son’s boldness, to actually climb over the wall into that house, "If there was danger inside and you got into trouble, what would you have done?"

"I didn’t think it through at the time, I just wanted to see...ouch...Mother, please be gentle..." Zhao Yao felt his ear was about to be twisted off.

Xiao Bai suddenly darted out and fiercely lunged at Liang Zhaoyi, but was thankfully stopped by Zhao Yao just in time: "Xiao Bai, don’t bite!"

Liang Zhaoyi quickly released Zhao Yao’s ear and stepped back several steps, keeping a distance from Xiao Bai in Zhao Yao’s hand.

Zhao Yao didn’t bother to soothe his painful ear but gently patted Xiao Bai’s little head, sternly saying, "Xiao Bai, you can’t bite my mother, or I’ll be very angry."

Liang Zhaoyi said warmly, "It’s trying to protect you; I didn’t expect it to be so protective of its owner."

Xiao Bai seemed to understand Zhao Yao’s words and obediently nodded its small head.

Zhao Yao leaned down to kiss Xiao Bai on the head, praising, "Xiao Bai is so good!"

Blushing from the kiss, Xiao Bai quickly scrambled back into Zhao Yao’s sleeve, hiding itself again.

"Mother, isn’t Xiao Bai smart... Ow..." Before finishing his sentence, Zhao Yao’s head was lightly rapped by Liang Zhaoyi.

"Don’t change the subject." Liang Zhaoyi flicked Zhao Yao’s forehead again, "Who gave you the courage to enter that house?"

"Mother, nothing happened to me, so there’s no need to scold me anymore."

"If I don’t scold you now, you won’t remember it. You’ll recklessly break into such houses again in the future."

Afterward, Liang Zhaoyi gave Zhao Yao a stern talking-to.

Chastised, Zhao Yao promised Liang Zhaoyi that he wouldn’t act so rashly again.

"What did you do once you got inside?"

"I chatted with that uncle..." Zhao Yao recounted everything that happened and what was said after he entered the house to Liang Zhaoyi.

After listening, Liang Zhaoyi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, wondering whether to call the child brave or ignorant—truly the fearless ignorance of youth.

"You’re quite the ’self-introduced friend,’ aren’t you." Liang Zhaoyi had learned this phrase ’self-introduced friend’ from Zhao Yao.

"How is that being a ’self-introduced friend’? That’s called being enthusiastic." Zhao Yao placed his hands on his hips, looking very proud.

"Given how much you talked, it’s surprising they didn’t mind the noise and bother."

Holding his face in his hands, Zhao Yao told Liang Zhaoyi, "Mother, I look so good and cute, who would bear to dislike me?"

Liang Zhaoyi chuckled softly, pinching her son’s cheek, "You’re really narcissistic."

"It’s called self-awareness." Zhao Yao said and then recalled the uncle’s surprised and nostalgic look upon seeing him. He remarked thoughtfully, "I seem to resemble a friend of that uncle’s, otherwise he wouldn’t have bothered with me." That uncle initially ignored him, but later seemed to notice the resemblance to his friend, which prompted him to talk.

Liang Zhaoyi’s heart skipped, but she showed no sign of it on her face.

"You..." Liang Zhaoyi spoke with helplessness, "Lucky you resemble their friend, or you’d have been kicked out in annoyance."

"That uncle seems quite pitiful, with an air of profound sorrow and desolation." Zhao Yao said, "I quite like that uncle, and being friends with him is nice. We agreed I’d write to him often."

"You don’t even know who he is, yet you’re exchanging letters?"

"That uncle won’t hurt me; he even asked me to read the Spring and Autumn Annals and said he’d quiz me on it when I visit next month." Though the uncle was cold, he bore no ill will toward him. "That uncle must have been a great warrior in the past."

What Zhao Yao said gave Liang Zhaoyi a fright, "How do you know that?"

"Instinct." Zhao Yao replied cheekily, "The uncle exudes an aura of ’I’m strong’.

Liang Zhaoyi was amused by Zhao Yao’s last comment, "Just because of that, you think he was a great warrior?"

"Yes, if he weren’t formidable, he wouldn’t have such a strong presence." Zhao Yao rubbed his chin, pondering. That uncle seemed thirty or forty years old. A thorough investigation might reveal who he is. I’ll go to Lanyuan Pavilion tomorrow to seek help from Fourth Brother.

"He might be recuperating in that house, would writing to him frequently disturb his peace?" She pondered whether Yao Yao associating with that man was a good or bad thing.

"No, I think that uncle is quite lonely. My frequent letters would make him feel accompanied, so he wouldn’t feel alone."

Hearing this, Liang Zhaoyi patted his head gently, "If you want to write, go ahead." Yao Yao has a pure heart; telling him not to bother the man would be futile.

The emperor must be aware of Yao Yao’s interactions with that man, need to ask him what he plans to do about it. Also, is it really safe for Yao Yao to be close to that man?

"You’ve been playing outside these past few days, neglecting your studies. Tomorrow you must go to Wende Hall to study, go to your study now to read."

Zhao Yao’s smile faded completely upon hearing this.

"Sigh, why can’t Father be like General Song and not bother about the youngest son?"

"Your father does it for your own good."

"Sigh..." Zhao Yao sighed longingly and then headed to the study with a sorrowful face.

Just then, Sun Doudou arrived at Kunde Hall. Officially, he was there to deliver two plates of snacks to Zhao Yao from the emperor, but actually, he came to inform Liang Zhaoyi not to worry about that matter.

Upon hearing this, Liang Zhaoyi immediately understood the emperor’s meaning and felt at ease.

The emperor anticipated that Zhao Yao would tell Liang Zhaoyi about knowing that man and knew she’d worry, so he specifically sent Sun Doudou to Kunde Hall to assure Liang Zhaoyi not to worry about it.

Unable to concentrate on studying, Zhao Yao picked up a pen to write a letter to that middle-aged man. After finishing the letter, he called Lai Wu.

"Lai Wu, you know there’s a bamboo forest not far from the imperial city, where there’s a house, right? In that house, there are many of your kind."

Lai Wu replied, "Yes, I often go there. We crows aren’t chased away from there."

"Lai Wu, please deliver this letter to the owner of that house."

"Yao Yao, the owner of that house is strange, always silent and often sitting in the yard staring at the sky." Lai Wu exclaimed, "Yao Yao, you know that stranger?"

"I just met him; that uncle is actually a good person. We’ve become friends, and I’ll need you to help us deliver letters."

Lai Wu chirped happily, "No problem, I can help deliver letters for you every day."

Zhao Yao held Lai Wu close, kissing its little head, "Thank you, Lai Wu."

Lai Wu rubbed its head against Zhao Yao’s cheek, "Yao Yao, it’s great to help you with deliveries." It had always envied others for delivering letters for Yao Yao, and now it was finally able to do it too.

"Lai Wu, you all are my messengers from now on."

Lai Wu chirped, "We’ll make sure to deliver your letters well."

Zhao Yao tied the letter to Lai Wu’s leg, and Lai Wu flapped its wings, flying toward the house.

The middle-aged man was sitting by the window reading when he suddenly saw a crow land on the windowsill, cawing at him.

Noticing the letter tied to the crow’s leg, the middle-aged man’s eyes showed a hint of surprise; the child had actually instructed a crow to deliver the letter.

Lai Wu looked at the middle-aged man, then boldly flew closer, landing in front of him.

The middle-aged man put down the book, gently lifted the crow, untied the letter from its leg, then released it.

Lai Wu didn’t leave, remaining on the table before the middle-aged man, waiting for a reply.

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